Soulbound
by xT-Zealot
Summary: "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." [Pseudo-Novelization]
1. Bonds

**Author's Note: **_*uploads edited Word document and goes to New Story*_

**Brain: **...You lied to me.

_Yeeeeah, I did._

**Brain: **The RWBY DVD, the director's commentary, all of that was to warp my thinking for this!

_Yeeeeah, it was._

**Brain: **This isn't even my idea! This is someone else's that you're in cahoots with!

_To be fair, it wasn't supposed to get this big. It was supposed to be smaller. But once you got wind of it you just HAD to make it bigger didn't you?_

**Brain: **Don't put this on me! You've built this fic on a foundation of lies and betrayal! LIES AND BETRAYAL!

_Yeeeeeah, it is. But ya know...*clicks his mouse and leans back in his chair*...we're invested in it_ now.

**Brain: **...Gawd dammit.

* * *

He was there just as he always was. Even with her chosen point of seclusion within the cliffs and red-leafed trees of Forever Fall, Blake knew that she would never be truly alone. Ever since their meeting those many years ago, they had made sure that such a thing wouldn't happen as long as they both still breathed.

No matter the distance that separated them – whether a few feet or miles -, there was that little part within Blake's heart and soul that was completely Adam. Made due to desperation and a desire to never be alone in such a cruel world, Blake had taken the hand that he had offered to her and, with it, the Aura that he had laid bare and what she had taken to bind with her own.

He had become a paragon of strength for her. Seeing him stand up to the hate that humanity directed at them reinforced her own waning confidence for the eventual goal of equality.

Considering this bond that she had formed with him, she didn't know why she hadn't seen it sooner. That steady stance of his was not one built upon the belief of peace but one of contempt for the human race and their apparent enjoyment of preying upon a weaker minority. The violence and bigotry that humanity threw at him he absorbed and used to strengthen his own resolve. He had just been biding his time, waiting to strike back with violence that would eclipse anything that humans had done to them.

Adam would get his chance. That gathered, roiling ball of hate was allowed an outlet when White Fang finally chose to fight fire with fire. If humanity wished to use fear to subjugate a race, they would learn the error of their ways when that fear turned against them.

Atop the boulder she was seated, Blake kept her gaze up and away but knew that with a moment of concentration she could locate him. Stretching out with her mind and Aura, she could sense him prowling within the depths of the forest; a point of barely-contained aggression that disturbed the natural peace of the landscape.

_A long time ago it was the world I had feared and he that gave me peace,_ she thought sadly. _Now, it's the opposite._

She retreated from him for the moment, wanting to ponder these latest thoughts that she had been having…and what they may entail.

Forever Fall was gifted with a constant, pleasant breeze. The gentle wind blew back her long, wavy black hair and the coattails of her vest. Above her, the branches of the surrounding trees swished and swayed, producing a relaxing melody as the leaves rustled within the wind. Many of them fell, providing a spectacle of the forest's name as they danced in the air.

A couple landed in her hair, the strands guided by the wind in random directions that happened to result in them snatching some of the leafy drops of this earthly rain. A renewed breeze saw most of the leaves freed to descend the rest of the way to the ground. Watching this display, Blake couldn't help but compare the journey of the falling leaves to the one she has yet to take.

_All that's required is an opportunity; a chance to separate from a home that has become a prison. To break away from it is to give yourself to the current of endless possibilities. What you will find and where you will fall is all randomized. The only thing you can do is surrender to the flow._

Blake stared at the ground, watching the fallen leaves continue to glide along the grass even after they had landed. _And even when arriving at your destination, the journey isn't over. You find yourself in a land of opportunities that won't keep you restrained to one point. _That, she guessed, was freedom.

"Blake."

She registered his approach long before he had spoken. It was easier to know when he was nearby for even though he may have once been a presence of unshakable confidence, he had now become a walking construct of malice that wished to pay back all who had wronged him.

Deep inside she felt that part that was reserved for Adam pulse and stretch out the foul tendrils that clung to her Aura. Wherever they touched she felt those black emotions that had overtaken him attempt to seep into her very being so that she, too, may one day embrace the carnage that offered brief, grisly relief.

"It's time."

Blake kept her emotions and face hidden from him. He didn't know how his eagerness for blood had her trembling or how her features twisted to display regret. Her hesitation she used to fashion a mask that, while invisible, was just as effectives as the one he wore. When her mask turned to meet his own, all signs of her intent were invisible to him.

"Okay," she replied quietly.

* * *

"Oh man, I can't believe it!"

Blake felt her faunus ears twitch beneath her bow at the sudden, loud shout that broke the silence of the room. This was one of the few times that she was glad for the cloth covering as it offered enough protection to stop the newly-declared leader of equally newly-declared JNPR from destroying her more sensitive pair of ear drums.

She doubly thanked the accessory when the leader of RWBY – girl and team also recently-established – shrieked with just as much volume. "I know right!?"

The fifteen-year-old known as Ruby Rose had practically skipped into the waiting room outside of Professor Ozpin's office where the two teams had been directed to obtain their dorm assignments and scrolls that would act as their keys. Once the door closed behind them, Blake had fully expected the teen to let loose with the enthusiasm that was bubbling up towards the surface.

Nope, the honor apparently went to Jaune Arc. She had been so focused on the younger girl that Blake hadn't noticed the blond boy shaking with equal amounts of excitement until he decided to let loose.

Seeing a partner in jubilation, Ruby whirled around to face Jaune, grinning from ear-to-ear. "We're in Beacon!"

"We have teams!" Jaune added.

"We're team leaders!"

Both of them laughing gleefully, they grabbed each other's hands and started spinning around within the center of the room. Blake had to take a step back unless she wanted to get floored but despite witnessing such childish behavior, the faunus couldn't help but smile softly.

_Certainly immature,_ she thought although the corners of her lips remained up. _ But it's…nice._

There came a huff at her back that, even with all the noise, her human ears managed to detect it. Already suspecting what she would find, Blake turned to look over her shoulder for the source.

She was not disappointed. With arms crossed over her chest and a glare directed at the floor, Blake beheld an irritated Weiss Schnee. The heiress to the largest Dust company had a clenched jaw, her teeth grinding together as the continued glee that the two leaders displayed seemed to further annoy her.

Blake understood the reason for this unhappy Weiss. She had been standing next to the snow-haired girl during Team RWBY's formation and it was when Ozpin had assigned Ruby as their leader that Blake felt Weiss's ponytail nearly slap her with how quickly the heiress whirled her head around to stare at the scythe-wielder in shock. The fact that they were in an auditorium full of people forced Weiss to recover, the girl bringing her head back around to present the steady image befitting of a Schnee.

Blake nonetheless saw the look of offence and the heat of outrage that colored her normally pale face. It didn't take much thought to guess why the heiress was so upset.

_She's sore because she's not in charge._ Blake felt that pleasant smile turn into a not-so-pleasant smirk. The faunus wasn't going to lie; she did feel some justification at this turn of events.

As if sensing it, Weiss looked up at Blake who quickly turned her head back around. Justifiable or not, it would be best to avoid making a scene because of one misplaced facial expression. After all, she was trying to keep her faunus heritage a secret and instigating another argument with the daughter of the current Schnee Head was certainly not the best way to do it.

Besides, she had decided to put that battle to rest. That was no longer hers and, thinking about it, Blake felt a bit of shame for finding even a small amount of enjoyment at Weiss's misery. _Nothing good has ever come from it. I'm not here because of her anyway._

Then again, when Blake turned to the teams, she wasn't sure if the scene in front of her was what she was looking for either. Ruby was currently silenced, the victim of another one of her sister's bear hugs that had her feet off the ground and kicking the air as she tried to free or, failing that, loosen herself from Yang's grip enough to breathe.

"Wait until you write to your friends about this!" Yang cheered, completely ignorant of the pained expression on Ruby's face. "You were moved two years ahead and chosen to be team leader! They'll be so proud of you!"

Ruby didn't say anything but her back did offer a couple_ cracks_ of protest.

Blake's pleasant smile returned, the antics of the two sisters making her forget about the spoiled heiress. Between first meeting Yang and Ruby in the assembly area to now, the younger girl had been the victim of Yang's hugs four times. At least those were the ones Blake had been present for anyway. Affectionate was certainly one word to describe the pair.

Jaune, on the other hand, was still talking adamantly and decided to throw in some wild gestures. With how he had one arm up to his chest and the other swinging wildly, Blake could guess that he was reliving his team's battle with the Death Stalker. He also found a new, even more jubilant, friend.

"And we all just charged it going 'yaaah'!" Jaune reminisced before bringing his imaginary shield up even if the real one was currently hanging from his belt. "And _pow_! Stopped one of its pincers!"

"And I went 'boom, boom, boom'!" Nora joined in. Unfortunately, unlike Jaune, the girl_ did_ have her grenade launcher out and the leader ducked when Nora swung it around in his direction.

Blake was not ashamed for ducking as well when the barrel neared her. It made her feel better when everyone else did, including Yang who released Ruby before throwing both of them to the floor. The only one who didn't react was Ren who stared dispassionately even when Nora pointed and kept Magnhild leveled at him.

"Ren, you were cool too until you hit that wall!" Nora made a motion simulating recoil with the launcher yet the green-dressed boy didn't even flinch. "Boop!"

"You can put Magnhild away Nora," he calmly advised.

"Okay!"

_I thought my team was going to be interesting. _Standing back up, Blake couldn't help but remember how unusually cheerful the hammer-wielder seemed to be even with the threat of two gigantic Grimm assaulting the teams from the ground and air. She also remembered getting bumped off the stone bridge by Nora after her failed attempt at smashing the Death Stalker.

With the threat of an armed, overly-eager – and potentially _crazed_ – girl having passed, everyone picked themselves up from the floor before resuming their own conversations. Remaining as the silent spectator, Blake watched the members of both teams talking and laughing with large smiles on their faces due to the success of their initiation.

_Never mind,_ the faunus thought to herself. Now free from her sister's back-breaking embrace, Ruby was talking a hundred words per second with Yang, jumping up and down like the young teenager she was. Nora was currently latched onto Ren's neck, swinging around him while he offered the subtlest of grins. Jaune was talking to Pyrrha, still excited but his volume lowered and the redhead was smiling politely. _This is what I was looking for._

Well, maybe not exactly what she was looking for. When she had left the White Fang and wondered what she could do with herself when her past had been nothing but that group, she had decided that one of the only courses was to become a Huntress. The last five years of violence had given her the skills to fight and one of the few places to put those skills to use was the career that she could obtain through Beacon.

Of course, the Huntressing lifestyle would give her more than a place to apply her particular skill set. What she wanted was someplace that was defined with black and white and not cluttered up with so much gray. Grimm were dark, Huntresses were the light. The former wanted to destroy both human and faunus while the latter was charged to protect them: black and white.

Gray was what happened when a group's nonviolent means were met with little gain. When the faunus became frustrated to the point that their thoughts became justified that the pure goal of equality can be achieved by tainting it with the same violence that humanity had given them but having never used before.

Gray was using chaos, not peace, to achieve equality.

Blake wanted things to be simple again. Her crimes in being a part of that chaos she could repent for by devoting her life to becoming a Huntress.

And yet, looking at the gathered students, Blake wondered if she had inadvertently found something else. She had hardened her heart and came fully prepared for whatever trials and hardships that becoming a Huntress would entail. Clearly a life – while simple - that would involve battling soulless monsters would be just as cruel and merciless as the one she had left behind.

But there was nothing of the sort here. Instead of hopes that were being worn away, confidence that was faltering, and shoulders that were starting to give under the weight of the burdens lain upon them, there was nothing but…normalcy. Here, there were people drawn together to uphold a righteous duty. Here, everything just seemed so very _right_.

"I mean I was surprised at myself!" Jaune was saying to Pyrrha. "I didn't think I could do all that! And with you! We only just met but it was like I knew what you were thinking!" Holding up his arm to represent his shield again, the young man turned it to the left. "You take the left pincer," he directed his arm to the right, "I take the right! We switch, and I slash left and you slash right!"

"Warrior instincts," Pyrrha replied, her smile refusing to falter in the least as she seemed genuinely pleased with his enthusiasm. "You're just that good of a partner Jaune, and you have a good team."

"Well yeah I know I'm good." The cocky tone and grin existed briefly, replaced by a sense of wonder. "But…I feel like it was more than that. When I moved it was like you were telling me where to go. I mean you didn't actually say anything but it felt like you wanted me at a certain point."

Near them, Nora stopped swinging around, seeming to take an interest in her leader's words. Likewise, Ren did the same, looking at the two while doing an admirable job of keeping his back straight with Nora hanging from his shoulders. The partners glanced at one another, a silent message passing between them.

"Did you two-?" Ren started to ask, looking to Jaune and Pyrrha.

"You bonded!" Nora squealed, not only cutting off Ren but causing the ear she had shrieked into to start ringing.

"Wait." Jaune turned to look at Nora with surprise. "What?"

Pyrrha seemed just as startled by the interruption as Jaune was, her head whirling around to face a dazzled Nora. Her gaze quickly went elsewhere, suddenly unwilling to look at her teammates while her smile caved in.

"Um…what?" Jaune asked again, looking between Pyrrha and Nora. "I don't ge-gack!"

Dropping from Ren's back, Nora had rushed over and hooked an arm around both Jaune and Pyrrha's necks to better bring one ear from each to her mouth so that she could bombard them with questions.

"When did it happen? Were you guys together before Beacon? I mean, not together-together but its okay if you were; didn't mean anything by it! Ren and I are only together though. But when did you know?"

"I-wha-you-huh?" Whether it was because of Nora's grip on him or how utterly flabbergasted he was, Jaune tried and failed to form a decent response to any of the questions that his teammate was throwing at him.

Fortunately, Ren came to the rescue once his hearing was back to normal. Rubbing his ear, he calmly instructed, "Nora, let him speak."

"Okay!" Although Nora became silent, her arms remained locked around her teammates. Ren realized his mistake.

"…You can let them go too."

"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Jaune protested as soon as he was freed.

Seeing how dubious his leader was, Ren looked inquisitively towards Pyrrha. The Spartan seemed to understand with how she kept looking off to the side, her hand rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"A…side-effect," Pyrrha finally explained. She willed herself to meet Ren's gaze and have her hand drop. "It happened in the forest. I used my Aura to unlock his for him and…well..."

Ren's brow rose questionably. "Why did you have to-?"

"That's great!" Nora again interrupted, punching at the air excitedly. "Ren and I have been bonded for sooo long because we're super besties!"

Pyrrha looked interested. "Is that how you two were able to find each other?"

"Yep! Led me right to him! I wanted to have a secret signal just to make sure though! Hey, does a sloth sound like this?"

While Nora demonstrated her sloth impression with a couple _c-raaaw_s, Ruby looked towards Yang, having apparently been paying enough attention to the other team's discussions to ask, "Yang, what do they mean by bonding?"

She had probably questioned her in hopes that her older sibling would have some inkling as to what was being said. Unfortunately, even Yang had to shrug cluelessly before replying, "No idea. They didn't teach anything like that during my senior year at Signal. Maybe it's something new?"

"Very old, actually." The two sisters swiveled their heads around to the source and Blake tensed a bit at the stares they directed at her. Fighting back an urge to block their looks with a book – which she didn't have on hand anyway -, Blake continued, "It's a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of humanity's fight with the Grimm."

"Huh." Yang rubbed at her chin, eyes narrowing as she tried to recall anything. "That old? I haven't heard about anything like that though."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"How do you figure?"

Blake paused just as she was about to explain, finding her own actions odd. Ever since coming to Beacon she had kept her interactions with the other students limited, preferring to stick to a corner reading a book. The only time she had really initiated anything was back in the courtyard when the desire to stop Weiss's arrogant lecturing to an apologetic Ruby drove her to intervene with a comment that had the heiress storming off.

Speaking of whom, Ruby had drawn a step closer to Blake, those silver eyes shining with interest. "Is it about Huntresses?"

There was something about that childlike intrigue that Blake found irresistible. There was no other way to say it: Ruby reminded Blake a lot of herself. Young, optimistic…naïve. But that had been before the harsh realities of the world had been unveiled to that little faunus girl, robbing her of her idealism when it became clear that such a pure thing was restricted to the books that she read for comfort.

As misguided as it may be, it was possibly that innocence that Ruby had that was driving Blake to speak. It was inevitable that one day Ruby would understand how indecent the world was, but perhaps the faunus could help her in avoiding a few of the pitfalls that she had unwittingly walked into.

"Well, you have to think," Blake started, resigning herself to this choice. "The previous combat schools were all about forging weapons and training you how to fight. Beacon is where those who have the most potential go to learn about the lifestyle of Huntsmen and Huntresses which holds various secrets and sacred traditions. For example, did either of you know about partners?"

"No," Yang admitted, shaking her head. "I mean, we all knew about the teams but nothing about how they'd be formed."

"Right, we now understand that this is a common thing but we didn't know until we were about to be launched into the Emerald Forest. What you might not have thought about is why they do it this way."

The two sisters looked at one another, suddenly thoughtful. On a hunch, Blake glanced over her shoulder to find Weiss having taken an interest in the conversation as well. Apparently she was just as curious as her teammates.

"I would think," Ruby began, brow furrowing in concentration, "that this was a test to see how well we can perform in an unfamiliar environment. Being flung to random points in a forest populated by the Grimm and forcing to work with whoever we meet is to see how well we adapt."

Despite herself, Blake offered her a short smile. Young as she may be, Ruby was at least able to comprehend such unique situations to find the lessons behind them. Between this and how she performed in the forest, the faunus knew she would make a good leader.

"I think it goes beyond that," Blake further explained. "Teams of four divided into partnerships of two, working and living with one another for several years, it's all rooted back to the early days of humanity. Before our advances in technology, before Dust, all that we had to fight against the Grimm was our Aura and each other."

"I suspect that this is where the bonding thing comes in," Yang guessed.

"Which is what, exactly?" Weiss impatiently asked.

Ignoring the heiress's tone, Blake sent a neutral glance towards her. "It's what makes Huntsmen and Huntresses better fighters. With the Grimm all around them, mankind had to work together no matter where the individual members came from." Mentally, she added, _Which includes me and you._

Focusing back on Yang and Ruby, Blake went on, "Such a situation breeds equal amounts of trust and desperation to the point where two individuals would share their Aura with one another. By doing so, they shared their thoughts and strength with one another."

"Oh, wow!" Ruby exclaimed. Staring up at Blake with fists clenched beneath her chin, she looked absolutely enthralled. "So, what? Yang can share her strength with me and I can be even stronger? By sharing thoughts do you mean telepathy? That sounds so cool!"

The adorable expression had Blake producing another short-lived smile even if she felt a stroke of unease. If anything, Ruby's excitement justified her choice of revealing this now instead of later. As the red-themed girl said, it sounded 'cool' but she wasn't thinking of the strings that were attached.

"Nothing as straightforward as that," Blake replied with a shake of her head. "Although, if bonded for long enough, a pair could gain an understanding of one another that can come close to telepathy, I guess. Physical strength can't be shared but I suppose Dust spells can become more potent when two Auras are used to power them. A partner can even transfer their Aura to each other. The greatest strength of the bond, however, is that you are connected to someone you trust at such a level that it gives you greater awareness of not only your surroundings and your enemies but each other. During a time when it seems like the world is against you, just the fact that you are with someone like that can give you the strength to face it."

Blake didn't realize the wistful tone that was taking over her voice, or how she was no longer looking at Ruby. Instead, the faunus seemed to be looking at a point passed Ruby's head and towards the floor. Blake imagined her memories playing on the smooth surface of the tiles.

"…You sound like you have some experience in this."

Blake snapped her head up towards Yang. The lilac eyes that had always been so carefree and relaxed were examining her with such thoroughness that she felt a bit uneasy. Maybe it had been a mistake to talk about this. She was trying to keep her previous ties to a terrorist organization hidden yet already she was unveiling too much information that was drifting too close to her past.

"Not me personally," she replied, keeping her voice and stare even to make it convincing. "But I did know someone who had been bonded before."

* * *

"Looks like we're going to be doing this the hard way."

She had seen them too. As soon the two of them had dropped into the darkness of the train car, the lasers of motion sensors blinked rapidly as the security system detected their presence and sent a signal to its automated guards.

Blake could see them as well: more than a dozen AK-130 androids that were divided into two lines with one at each side of the car. And they had dropped right in the middle of them.

This had not been unexpected. More and more, the big companies like the SDC were turning to such automatons in an effort to provide better security for their shipments in response to attacks from the White Fang. The intrusion activated this group, red lights blazing at their chests and heads while metal visors slammed into place.

With mechanical synchronization, the androids all turned towards the pair before moving to surround them, their steel fingers forming into fists that they brought up to imitate a fighting stance.

Adam's amusement was transferred to her and even Blake had to smirk before standing from her crouch with a clever, "Don't be so dramatic."

Both of them felt the same concerning these robots. Their humanoid appearance, their stance, everything was meant to imitate a flesh-and-blood security force. However, to them, they were just another symbol of what they fought against: mankind's efforts to cut corners in order to preserve their wealth. Rather than pay for the training and experience of a soldier, they chose these drones that could be bought and sealed away until they were needed.

They were cheaper…and disposable.

"_Intruder_," came the deep-voiced word of one of the androids. Unlike the rest, the dark gray digits of its hands had extended forward while the tips slid back to reveal gun barrels. Pointing weapons and attention on Adam, it commanded, "_Identify yourself_."

Blake didn't need to see Adam's movements to know that he was going to strike first. While he did remove a hand from his sword and his stance became relaxed, Blake noted the contempt that exuded off of him and what had to be influencing a mocking smile.

There came a loud blast from his sheath as he pulled the trigger of Blush, sending his sword – Wilt – rocketing forward and slamming the hilt into the head of the android, knocking it and its weapons out of alignment. Adam used the strike to his advantage to run forward in a blur before snatching Wilt from the air, slice through the neck of the AK, and shoot off its head with another shot from his sheath before a second, diagonal swing went through its torso.

With such speed, the android's headless body seemed delayed in reacting to the attack. Only when Adam sheathed his weapon did the android split in two and fall.

The rest of the guards were even slower to respond. Displaying continued mimicry of human attitude, they glanced at each other, transmitting a wordless communiqué on how to proceed before the conclusion of an armed response became their answer. Snapping their arms back, their hands were swapped out with lengthy blades to arm themselves before charging.

A glimpse over her shoulder had Blake spotting the closest pair running at her back with the leader drawing one blade back to slice through her. As Adam had demonstrated, they were much too slow. With her hand already wrapped around Gambol Shroud, Blake bent her knees before a pulse of her Aura gave birth to a shadow clone that she used to launch herself backwards. Her movements proved to be faster than Adam's to the point where her two slashes were more like one that cut both of the 130s in half as easily as Wilt did.

Blake had already landed back on her feet by the time the androids dropped to the floor in pieces. She ran passed them to reunite with her partner.

Adam stood undaunted within the center of the closing circle of guards. At Blake's approach, he held up his sheathed weapon.

_**Duck.**_

It wasn't so much a word as it was a suggestion that Blake felt within that part of her that was Adam. Taking heed, Blake ducked her head down as soon as she passed a 130, his blade passing right over her head as he spun himself and his weapon around to carve open the android she just went by while she struck at the legs of another that was behind him.

The acrobatic maneuvers and wide swings would seem hazardous in such close quarters yet the two White Fang members danced around each other's attacks while performing their own. After kicking aside the 130, Blake cartwheeled away in time to crouch beneath another swing from Adam, this one going around in a circle that felled three more androids that had been closing in.

Two came in to replace them that Blake took herself. She sidestepped one, the sharpened edge of her sheath coming around to strike at its back to hit its power supply, sending it falling with lights going dark. She turned at the approach of the other just in time to cleave off its raised blade arm before another slash at the chest sent it slamming onto its back. Behind her came the clanging of Wilt followed by the booming of Blush as Adam used the rapid unsheathing of his sword to similarly disarm another AK before a bullet sent it falling.

Blake saw the next danger: another gun-toting robot that was already preparing to fire. She sent a warning to Adam just before the barrels starting spinning.

There came another suggestion from him, this time telling her to step back. She did just as he turned to face the threat, bringing Wilt around to dance in the space in front of him to deflect the incoming storm of projectiles as the AK fired.

This time it was Blake's turn. _**Mine.**_

Adam sheathed Wilt in time for Blake to take over as she sprinted forward, raising Gambol Shroud in front of her to deflect the bullets away from them as she approached. Devoid of human fear and caution, her target was moving in a slow walk towards her, the multiple barrels continuing to spit out bullets in hopes of overwhelming her. It only made it easier for Blake to draw in close enough to decapitate it, silencing the gunfire.

There were still more and Blake was jumping over her latest kill to attack the android behind it, bringing Gambol Shroud around to split it from shoulder to hip. She dropped to her knees, sliding on the floor before severing the legs of another.

There was at least one bit of solace that Blake could take from this fight: since she was fighting machines, she didn't have to worry about taking the lives of living beings. She could go all out on these toys that she was easily reducing to scrap metal.

With that in mind, she drew the sword portion of her weapon in time to carve open the steel belly of the next AK, cutting through the hydraulics and gears that had it doubling over. A flip that ended with a drop kick sent it crashing down where it would never get up again.

She didn't hold back. With blade in one hand and sharpened sheath in the other, she tore through the next group. She slashed and cut, transforming into a whirlwind of motion that tore through armor and severed robotic limbs before a pulse of her Aura and a clone propelled her ahead to another point where she could continue the next portion of her dance.

She was enjoying this. They were not her tormentors but the humanoid appearance of the AK-130s possessed enough of a likeness that Blake felt this sense of satisfaction every time she perceived that split second of resistance that occurred right before her weapons cleaved through the inferior metalwork of the automatons.

It scared her. They may be machines but she knew it was wrong to find enjoyment in this, to feel justified when she imagined the face of one of the multitude of bigoted humans being mirrored on the visors of these fakes before striking. Every attack she made she saw as getting back at all those who oppressed her and her kind, every cry that issued from her lips carrying the embroiled emotions within her that had desired this release. The androids that were hacked to pieces would be messages to convey to humanity that they had gone too far and they were now paying for what they had brought onto themselves.

The adrenaline and the heat of the battle could be blamed for this but Blake knew that these feelings weren't her own, _couldn't_ be her own.

The real owner was coming up right behind her. Twisting her body around, Blake kicked the last android up into the air which she followed, slashing with both parts of Gambol Shroud. Another use of her Shadow semblance had her returning to the floor while the machine was left in the air for Adam to use as an improvised battering ram when a devastating jump kick sent it hurtling towards the door of the train car, busting it open.

The two of them leapt through it, trading the interior of the boxcar for a flatbed that left them exposed to the rushing air that caused their hair and clothing to whip behind them. Unlike the boxcar that held the security droids, the open space of the flatbed was occupied with crates that were tied down with protective netting. Blake assumed that they held mining equipment or some other materials, not the Dust that they were targeting. Something that valuable – not to mention volatile – had to be stored within another boxcar somewhere further up the train.

And more of the 130s were coming to stand in their way. The alert must've been sent throughout the entire train as another group of androids were leaping over the crates or running along the open space of the flatbed, the extra guards no doubt summoned from farther up in storage areas similar to the one that the two Fang members had exited.

"Let's do this."

Blake switched her gaze to her partner just in time to see the glance he sent her way along with the words. That mask of his hid his eyes but Blake didn't need to see them, not when she had that part of him that radiated such elation of finally, _finally_ being set free to bring the battle to their oppressors.

She couldn't leave, not yet. As much as she wanted to, she had to wait for the opportunity and this wasn't it. The choice may be her own but she owed Adam at least this much. He trusted her just as she had once trusted him and she wouldn't abandon him no matter how much it terrified her to be near him.

So when he rushed on, Blake had no choice but to follow.

* * *

"So if this supposed to be such a secret," Weiss cut in and jerked her head towards JNPR, "then why do they know about it?"

"There's always the chance that someone would learn about it," Blake replied. She was also looking to the other team, specifically at Jaune and Pyrrha. The blond boy was speaking to the redhead in a rushed tone but the words weren't angry; just confused. A guilty-looking Pyrrha was doing her best to answer them. "I knew someone and the same story could be said for Pyrrha. The bond requires two but one can perform it as long as their partner lets them."

The faunus turned to the other half of the team to see Nora watching, amused, while Ren seemed troubled. "For others, it can come naturally. Bonding is about sharing your Aura with another. If two people find themselves to be that compatible with each other, a bond can be established almost subconsciously."

"Compatible?" echoed Yang. She was examining Ren and Nora with a risen brow. "…I guess I can see it. Opposites attract and all that, right?" She offered the group a smirk.

Blake returned it, admittedly amused with her partner's description of the pair. Hyperactive seemed such a polite way to describe Nora's personality when the faunus had first seen her riding in on the back of an Ursa in order to reach the Forest Temple. Such a feat did little to dampen the girl's enthusiasm with how quickly she had snatched her chosen relic before breaking into song and dance about being queen of the castle.

Ren, on the other hand, was rather mellow and seemed to have difficulties in keeping up with his partner. While Nora had been cheering and racing towards the next thing that caught her interest, Blake had remembered him hunched over and trying to catch his breath. Nonetheless, Ren had some capability to reel her in when necessary.

_I wonder if they bonded so that Nora could leech off of him_, she thought with some mirth. Maybe the reason Ren was the way he was was because Nora soaked up all their shared energy while leaving him with the bare minimum to function.

"So why is it such a secret?" Ruby asked innocently, her attention having yet to leave Blake.

Ah, therein laid the problem and the reason as to why Blake chose to unveil all this to her team. Back then she had thought being bonded with someone had been such a beautiful thing. The various members of JNPR had reasons that she could only guess but, for her, she knew that she had bonded out of desperation. She hadn't known the full nature of what such a thing entailed and when she did it had been far too late. At least this way they would know and maybe avoid the mistakes she had made.

"Because there are dangers to being linked to a person on such a level," Blake replied. "They weren't so prominent in the past since, as you know, the Grimm had been on the verge of wiping us out and it was the discovery of Dust that prevented it. Being bonded may've made two warriors stronger but, during such a time, all it did was let them survive a few days longer."

She didn't mean to sound so grave but she couldn't argue against how it affected the group, starting with how Ruby's wide eyes shrunk a bit as she contemplated the terror and misery of such an era. Between seeing Huntsmen and Huntresses with such reverence and still at the young age of fifteen-years-old, Blake knew that Ruby was susceptible as any other child was when it came to the glory of such heroes. It made people forget that, in order for there to be heroes, there needed to be a time of great evil for them to rise up. And even then, people focused on their victories over their enemies and not the blood that needed to be spilled in order to obtain it.

Nor did they think of how such dark times may create additional evils.

Yang's cheerful grin lessened, showing that the blonde understood despite her easygoing personality. To Blake's surprise, she saw how Weiss became somber, that raised chin of hers lowering in the face of what it meant to be a Huntress. Apparently her wealthy upbringing didn't leave her as insensitive to the world as the faunus had initially believed.

"When everything stopped looking so bleak," Blake went on, "and bonded pairs started lasting for years instead of days or months, they started to realize what it meant to be connected through their Auras, especially over such a length of time. It's more than sharing energy; it's allowing your partner to know and learn about you at an unprecedented level. By giving a part of yourself to them and vice versa, you're giving them access to your very being. After several years they might as well be a part of you. At that point, those thoughts and emotions that can give you an advantage in battle can influence you…the violent ones most of all."

Blake had to resist the urge to clench her hands into fists. It was not just bitterness at her own foolishness that she felt whenever she looked back on this. There was regret for not seeing it sooner, for believing that he wouldn't change, that no matter how far their cause drifted towards violence, they would be fine as long as they had each other. If she hadn't blinded herself to the possibilities, impossible they may've seemed at first, maybe she could've stopped it.

"By influencing you…" Yang spoke, pulling Blake out of her thoughts. The brawler appeared apologetic as it was obvious that this was a troubling subject but she truly wanted to learn about it.

"It's what happened to my friend," Blake explained. How she hoped that they would not ask for clarification and be satisfied with this. "She was bonded with someone that she worked with for years. Unfortunately, he started changing, and because of the bond she was afraid that his anger would change her as well."

* * *

The next car held their goal and, as Blake suspected, it was another boxcar that was filled with large, rectangular crates that were stacked together. Each one was marked with a white or red snowflake: the Schnee family insignia. As much as she disagreed with the changes that had occurred within the White Fang, seeing the marks reminded Blake of why she had joined and followed it for as long as she had.

The Schnee Dust Company was known around the world as one of the largest producers and exporters of the energy propellant known as Dust. It was used everywhere as a valuable resource for not only Aura-users that could draw out the power known as Nature's Wrath, but a source of energy for nearly all forms of technology. With it, humanity was not only able to fight the Grimm but establish their rightful place on Remnant.

It was part of everyday life and the Schnee Quarry has allowed the company to meet the daily quota because of it. That and their 'controversial' labor forces who worked it.

_Controversial?_ Blake couldn't help but scoff. _Hardly._

Controversial would imply people actually discussing the problem and working to fix it. Decades have passed and nothing has changed since the SDC's founding or in any of the other Dust companies that have chosen to use the faunus as cheap labor to mine and refine this resource.

It wasn't just those despicable policies that White Fang stood against; it was every kind of discrimination that humans directed at the faunus. Stripped of rights, treated as lesser beings, and crushed by cruel, ruthless,_ human_ rule. No one was doing anything about it. The equality that had been promised to them after the war had been a lie all along.

_"None of this is our fault," he had said, looking regretful for once. "They brought this on themselves."_

As abhorrent as she was of the switch to organized attacks, Blake recognized why it came to be nonetheless. The White Fang had been originally created as a symbol for unity between humans and the faunus. When they were denied that, they became a voice that demanded it. When that voice proved to be too soft, it became clear that it was action that would be needed. The results were proving just how true it is.

It was just as their current leader had said when he had taken over: from the shadows that they had been driven to they will descend upon the world, take back what humanity had stolen from them, reclaim their destiny, and set their future free. Above the shame, the hate, the pain, and the bindings of their fate, they will rise

Blake feared about what they would leave behind.

Adam wandered over to one of the crates, Blake calmly following. A quick use of Wilt did away with the locks and he lifted the lid for them to examine the contents. There came smug satisfaction when he spoke, "Perfect."

Blake eyed the crystals that were laid out before them. Orange, green, red, dark blue, light blue, white; a rainbow of colors was spread along the foam surface. It wasn't just the colors either as they had been cut into different shapes at different angles.

It was strange how something so small and pretty in appearance could lead to the betterment of one race and the damnation of another.

"Move up to the next car," Adam ordered. He set the lid back down so that he could fully address Blake. "I'll set the charges."

Blake forced herself to look to his mask and made a vain attempt to locate his eyes through the four slits that she could barely make out beneath the red detailing. "What about the crew members?"

No additional androids had assaulted them, not since they cleared out that last group. That was probably all that had been stationed on the train. The only obstacles that they could expect to encounter from now on would be the humans who worked on the train and they could hardly be considered as such. They would be defenseless, unarmed save for whatever tools they may try to use to protect themselves.

But they would be fighting for their lives. Human or faunus, everyone had a right to maintain such a precious thing. All Blake had desired was a faunus life to be treated as equally as a human's. She refused to fall into that trap…

"What about them?"

…that she could now see that he had fallen into. That curl of his lip expressed the scorn that Blake felt and knew to be all too real. Within Adam, she could sense the disdain of being asked such a question.

He didn't say it but he didn't need to. He saw no difference between the machines that had been programmed to go against them and the people who were just doing their job. They were transporting cargo that had been obtained through faunus labor, with faunus sweat and blood, and, thus, they were all guilty.

He didn't say he expected Blake to kill them but she could see that, in his mind, he didn't need to.

That was when she realized she lost him.

She had done so well to hide her doubts from him but she struggled to keep them concealed in the face of this revelation. She broke away from his gaze, her eyes drifting to the side before she closed them, willing her motives to remain veiled in the shadows of her mind.

She felt the shift of Adam's attention the same time she heard the hissing and grinding of gears that told her that she had been wrong in assuming that they had cleared the train of its robotic sentinels. When she looked back the way they came, it was just in time to see the mammoth droid drop from the ceiling of the train car, landing on its four legs with a_ clang_.

It possessed the same red and gray color scheme but the similarities ended there. More like a spider than a humanoid, the multiple legs lifted it to its full height of several meters. The visor of its angular face was directed at the two faunus along with its armaments: two arms that ended in double-barreled cannons while another pair with three each extended from its shoulders.

This was a heavier model. While this was the first time the White Fang dared to try and hijack an entire train, they hadn't expected this kind of resistance.

"Adam…" Blake voiced in warning, glancing at her partner while wordlessly expressing the idea of withdrawing.

Ignoring it, Adam stepped forward which the droid took as a sign to attack. All four cannons pointed to him, blue-white energy gathering at the barrels before a salvo of shots came flying towards him. Adam ducked and rolled to avoid them with Blake being forced to jump over one of the orbs and initiating a charge at the mechanical monster.

Drawing Gambol Shroud as the shots impacted all around her, Blake leaped towards its head. Given its size, she didn't expect it to respond so quickly or in such a manner that had it slamming its face right into her. Flesh and bone met solid metal with the former losing as Blake was sent tumbling back to the floor, the dual collisions leaving her stunned.

Tremors shook the floor beneath her as the robot drew closer to finish her off. Adam quickly stood in its way, launching himself at it similar to what Blake had done except this time there came the sound of metal striking against metal as Adam unsheathed Wilt and sent a flurry of blows that impacted against the armored torso.

The savage attack proved to be ineffective. Blake rose her head just enough to see Adam landing in front of her before one of the machine's legs smacked into him, sending him flying over Blake and back towards the other end of the car. The droid sent a few shots after him and focused on its original target. The whining of hydraulics and the shadow that came over her warned the still-recovering Blake of that same leg having risen back up, this time intending to crush her.

Right as it was about to come slamming down, Adam was there. Blake barely had time to register his reappearance in the second it took for him to sweep her up in his arms and dart out of harm's way.

If she hadn't become so resolute with her chosen path, the action might've prevented her from giving up hope. In contrast to his brutality in combat, the way he held her against him was - dare she say it? - tender. With her heart beating so close to his, she could detect the compassion that was reserved only for her. It reminded her of their earlier days.

She didn't let it sway her. Those times were long gone, the compassion she felt a fragment. She didn't harbor any misguided thoughts about it being a potential anchor to bring him back. It was just a persistent remnant that would soon be swallowed up.

Blake was trying to avoid a similar fate. As soon as Adam set her back down, she tried again with an insistent, "We need to get out of here!" They didn't have to continue this and she hoped that she could use the moment to convince him to see it that way.

Unfortunately, that compassion was swept away in the wave of aggression that came back to the forefront. Adam already had a hand back at his sword, intending to resume his efforts of annihilating their opposition.

An opposition that brought its weapons to bear on them with a literal twist. The cannons merged together, combining into a single armament that began to draw power. There came a loud hum that resonated within the interior of the car, the energies that gathered in front of the barrels causing the hairs on Blake's skin to prickle.

They couldn't dodge that. While Adam brought Wilt and Blush up to defend, Blake gripped the back of his overcoat. Her Aura came flooding through their bond to bolster his own, strengthening it and pushing it outwards.

She was alerted to the cannons firing when a burst of light and heat nearly blinded her sensitive eyesight. She forgot about the sting at her sockets almost immediately when a wave of pressure lifted her off her feet and threw her roughly backwards, towards the rapidly approaching door to the car before that, too, was ripped open by the blast.

Both she and Adam landed hard onto the next car – another flatbed – and slid along a good portion of its length before coming to a halt. As much as her body throbbed, it was pain that let her know that she was still alive. An attack like that could've done a lot worse had they not reacted in time. To her relief, she could sense that Adam was alive and a visible confirmation put her at ease.

Even over the rushing wind, Blake could hear the clanking of cybernetic limbs that heralded the approach of the spider-like robot. It was far from done and, as Blake would soon see, there was hardly a mark on it from their previous attacks. The sentinel possessed tremendous firepower and defenses that put the androids to shame.

"Buy me some time!"

Blake jerked her head towards Adam who was far from intimidated. In fact, the prolonged battle was working to anger him, making him more determined to see the machine fall.

_Last chance. _With that in mind, she shouted, "Are you sure?"

"Do it!" he snarled.

Last chance and last time.

Blake launched herself from the bed of the car and sprinted towards the soulless droid. The aches in her body meant little, the hopelessness of the situation mattering not. Possibly because of how she had fed more of herself into Adam, Blake felt what had to be his growing obsession to see the droid destroyed take over. Her vision came into sharp focus, her pulse pounded, her blood ran high, all with the anticipation of seeing this metal construct brought to ruin.

The next shots seemed slow, Blake easily dodging to the left and right. With a challenging shout, Blake whipped out Gambol Shroud from its sheath, the blade folded over to better reveal the pistol that acted as the hilt. With her semblance, a clone assisted in catapulting her up towards her target. Blake jammed the end of her blade into the center of its chest before letting go so that she could fly behind it.

The ribbon that was wrapped around the trigger of her weapon was still in hand. A swift tug caused the pistol to fire, the recoil serving to rip the blade out from the droid and return it to the faunus.

_Fall!_

She spun several times in the air, tugging the ribbon to produce a crescendo of _bangs_ from Gambol Shroud that had it spinning with her to slash along the back of the spider droid that wavered in response to the repeated assaults.

_FALL!_

Her Aura matched the pacing of her heart. Another shot of recoil returned Gambol Shroud to her hand when she landed, the blade straightening while Blake fitted the fingers of her other through the hole of her sheath to bring it into play. Each heartbeat was followed with a pulse from her Aura as she went for its legs, a clone boosting her forward so that she may slash at one limb before another beat and another pulse sent her to the other to do the same.

Above her, the machine stumbled as it attempted to track the high-speed movements of the raven-haired girl. Its legs stomped and kicked in useless retaliation, hitting at spaces that Blake had already left vacant. A strike against its chest caused its processors to register that the intruder was now hovering in front of its face and one of its shoulder cannons dipped to fire a point-blank shot of energy.

When it registered that it missed, that its target had dropped back to the floor, Blake pointed the tip of Gambol Shroud towards its chin, her legs bent and poised.

_**FALL!**_

The muscles in her legs sprung her up and the ones in her arms stabbed Gambol Shroud into the angular head from below. This time it was her finger that jammed down the trigger and Blake's infuriated cries matched the firing of each bullet that pierced its throat until the _click _of an empty chamber forced her to disengage by kicking off its torso.

She knew Adam was ready at this point. A quick handspring brought her to his side and a glance revealed how his clothes and hair whipped at the air with such a fervor that was due to more than just the wind. Yet the rest of him remained immobile, his feet frozen shoulder-width apart while his hands clutched Wilt and Blush at his side.

But his heart pounded at an accelerated rhythm, his blood soared, and his very soul thrummed with a barely-restrained desire to unleash destruction. It seeped into their bond, using it as an outlet to bleed out the pent-up emotions that seeped into Blake's very being, fueling her aggression…corrupting her.

He turned to her, "Move!"

It was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted to continue, to rush back in and finish what she started. She wanted to see the machine fall. Hack and slash until it was in pieces. She wanted to _exterminate_ it just as humanity had tried-

His voice and her own revulsion snapped her back to her senses. With a start, she tried to get away, hoping that putting some distance between this battle would halt the domination of her mind. Meanwhile, the spider droid was merging its weaponry together for another powerful blast. With her moving out of range, it aimed towards Adam, the same blue-white energies gathering together to form another devastating beam that was fired to incinerate the faunus.

Blake turning her back and removing the spectacle from her sight was a useless gesture. She felt Adam's elation at the sight of certain death and the knowledge that the best was being thrown at him. And it meant nothing to him. She felt his Aura spike as it gorged on energy meant to kill him but only served to empower him.

His laugh echoed both in her ears and in her mind, a wicked sound that incited the imaginations of what he – _they_, could accomplish. What was being wrought here was only the beginning and proof that they were not inferior but superior. Humans were the lesser beings. They were the liars, the cheaters, the glutinous cowards that tried to assuage their fears with the chains meant to shackle what they do not understand.

They will understand and they _will _fear. The so-called proof of human superiority such as this toy shall come crashing down, revealing how weak they truly are. They will be driven to their knees, not by the monsters born of darkness but by the monsters that they themselves created.

When they are inevitably forced to face this truth, humanity shall wilt and die.

_No!_ Blake tore herself free from this manipulation. _That's not what I want!_

Gasping for breath, the cold sweat on her body combined with the wind caused a shudder to course through her, assisting in bringing her back to reality. Instead of becoming lost in this glimpse of a grim future, Blake was relieved to find herself on the train.

The fight was over. Behind her, she could no longer hear the stomping of the droid or any other sounds of battle. What she could feel, however, was Adam. He was approaching her now, intending to rejoin her. Invigorated by his victory, she sensed his eagerness to complete the job. They were not done yet.

_**Yes, we are.**_

The thought came with everything that she had concealed from him. She couldn't go on with this. He had fallen and she was afraid that he was going to drag her down with him. Their cause has become horribly twisted, their beliefs no longer the same. She couldn't follow him anymore.

When she faced him it was to catch the stumble in his step before he stopped entirely. She sensed the bewilderment that her honesty provoked. Confusion as to where this was all coming from.

Blake removed Gambol Shroud from her back. _**This is not me going against you. I just can't be with you anymore.**_

Adam may not have heard the exact words, but he understood the meaning behind them. He reached out towards her. _**Wait!**_

She's already done that. "Goodbye."

She swung down, severing the connection between their respective cars.

And deep inside, she severed her connection with him.

* * *

"Ozpin said that whoever we meet will be our partners for our entire stay at Beacon," Yang remembered, thinking back to that moment at the cliff's edge. "I guess in that time we're supposed to learn how to work with each other and see if we are willing to bond with one another."

Blake nodded in agreement. "Vale is one airship ride away from Beacon but, otherwise, we're cut off from the general populace."

"It was the same at Signal," Ruby added. "It's located on Patch, just off the coast of Vale." Grasping another lesson she spoke, "They're trying to imitate the conditions of what it must've been like in the past!"

Blake hadn't attended Signal but she knew that the island it was located on didn't have any kind of Grimm population. It was too small to maintain one and, if it did, they could've been easily cleared out to make room for a training facility. It allowed trainees to train together and hone their chosen fighting style in peace but Signal was missing a few things that Beacon had. It seemed she wasn't the only one who knew this.

"The isolation perhaps," Weiss cut in, whatever annoyance she had previously held having vanished for the time being. She seemed as absorbed in the topic as the others to better fathom their situation. "Beacon has places like the Emerald Forest and Forever Fall which are teeming with Grimm all around us except for the cliffs at our backs."

"It promotes unity in the face of an encompassing threat." Yes, life at Beacon was very similar to her past, Blake noted. "For four years we'll be surrounded by the Grimm, our academics reminding us of the present and past. All we'll have is each other to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown at us. It'll minimize the mistakes that others have made."

"Speaking of which." That analytical look on the heiress's face morphed into one of wariness. "This whole bond thing…it isn't permanent, is it? It can be broken if desired, right? In case mistakes _are_ made." Clearly she was rather uncomfortable when it came to this particular issue.

"Death_ is_ such a way, although not the only one," Blake informed. "If the people who are bonded wish it, they can forfeit it. It'll be mutual and, most of all, painless."

"Er…painless?" Ruby questioned uncertainly. "It can hurt if it isn't mutual?"

The answer came hesitantly. "…Yes, the deep ones especially." Blake took a breath. "It'll be very similar to if you lost your partner in battle. An illness or some kind of disease that offers a slow death would give you time to accept and prepare for what's to come. If a partner was struck down or pulled away from you without notice, the loss can be very traumatic."

Several moments of silence passed before Yang spoke up. "Your friend broke away without consent, didn't she?"

Another silence fell over Blake and the entire space that was occupied by Team RWBY.

"…How bad was it?"

It was far too late to back out now. The faunus had been willing to go this far, so there was no way she could stop right when she was getting to the end. She waited a few seconds to stretch it out a bit longer until she noticed how Ruby fidgeted where she stood, a visible sign of regret for prying.

"I wasn't there," Blake finally spoke, "but Aura is the manifestation of the soul. To have a partner become so attuned to you and then lose them, I can only assume it's like ripping out a piece of yourself."

* * *

Blake waited as the distance between her and Adam increased. While the train continued to provide momentum for her side, Adam's was losing it at an alarming rate. After returning Gambol Shroud to its resting place, she stood and, with an unblinking stare, watched as Adam became smaller and smaller. Soon even her sharp eyesight couldn't make him out when he became little more than a dot.

With nothing to see other than empty track, Blake turned and started walking, saddened but determined. It was the best time and the best way to end all of this. This mission had been chosen as their initiation. She had remained affiliated with the White Fang for five years after its transformation but most of it had been spent training. Being practically born into the group and being connected to Adam had assured her superiors that she could be trained without the threat of her turning against them.

This wasn't to say that she was fully innocent. She had done things that were minor in comparison to the killings that the other members participated in but it did little to alleviate her guilt since she had been contributing to the violence that White Fang was becoming increasingly known for. Here it was the same: she had potentially saved the lives of the crew members but had left a trail of destruction behind her and assisted in the theft of a significant shipment of Dust.

_The last time,_ Blake reassured herself. _And they won't be coming for me_. She was breaking away right when they were debating about trusting her with more. She knew about their more atrocious acts of violence but held no knowledge of the specifics such as who or how. She was as informed as a new recruit was expected to be. Surely the Fang wouldn't come after her when they had more important things to worry about.

She had planned accordingly. The mission would allow her to infiltrate the train and ride it to a new city. There, she can establish a new life for herself and create a path that would be her own and not one that people were forcing her onto. She would be free to make her own choices.

That was when her vision doubled with her legs buckling beneath her. Blake threw her arms out in time to catch herself, landing on her hands and knees.

_What was-?_ She didn't get far within her own mind when another wave of disorientation hit her. Her vision spun in front of her and the faunus lowered further, trading her hands for elbows in order to rest her forehead against the cool metal of the flatbed. Eyes squeezed shut as she tried to control this bout of nausea that had her shoulders tensing in anticipation.

She forced herself to take deep breaths in an attempt to fight down the urge to eject the contents of her stomach. She tried to focus on the chilling wind and the floor beneath her on how they attempted to lessen the heat that was overtaking her body.

As intense and immediate the reaction was, it was quelled a little too easily. Blake remained where she was, waiting and expecting more to follow. Nothing else came and she dared to open her eyes and lift her head from the floor. Her vision had stopped spinning and the nausea had passed.

That had been…odd. Had the fight taken that much out of her? It had been difficult and she had exerted herself more than she expected to. Maybe it caught up to her.

She gingerly picked herself up and followed the action with a shuddering breath as she balanced on her knees. Whatever that had been, it seemed to have passed. She started to push herself back up to her feet.

It was not just weakness that had her collapsing again but also _agony_.

_I-it hurts. _A spasm that originated beneath her breast sent pain lancing across her chest, her body convulsing in response. _I didn't expect it to hurt this much._

She hadn't given much thought on what would happen when she severed the bond. To be honest, she hadn't given that much thought into the consequences at all. When she understood what was going on, when she had realized the abyss that she was being dragged into, her dread at being devoured by the darkness had driven her to cut herself free.

Her fear had joined her with Adam and it was her fear that split her from him. She was being tortured for both mistakes.

There came a cry as her back arched off the floor before coming back down with such violence that surely a bruise would form at the center. The spasms worked their way from her chest to her limbs, shaking them madly while her head thrashed from side-to-side, the faunus gasping for breath. Blake curled into a fetal ball in an attempt to restrict the violent motions of her body.

She couldn't stay like this. No matter how crippling this was, she had to get up. Sooner or later, the train's crew would come to investigate and in this pathetic state she wouldn't be able to defend herself. She may've saved them but experience told her that she wouldn't be getting any help from them. Quite the opposite: knowing that they had been attacked and finding a faunus girl paralyzed with pain would lead them to locking her up….if she was lucky.

_Gotta get up…_ The shaking persisted yet Blake demanded that her body obey her. She rolled onto her front, gradually removing herself from her ball. The hands that pressed against the floor were still shaking, the legs that she placed beneath her still weak. Nonetheless, the fate that awaited her if found and her mental encouragement had her working through the ache at her back as she stood.

_Have to find a place to hide. Have to mo-_

Blake was flung forward, breath coming out in a rush when she collided into a pile of netted cargo. She started to slide against it until she clutched at the obstruction, using it to keep her on her feet. She turned her head to peer over her shoulder to see what hit her and her eyes went wide at what she saw.

Usually her clones didn't last for this long. She used them to give herself an extra boost to avoid attacks or distract her opponents with the afterimage while she struck at a different angle. They would exist for a second before fading away like the shadows they were.

This one persisted. Furthermore, the features on this one were clearly visible. Enlarged amber met amber as Blake viewed the anguish stuck to its – _her_ face. As if looking at a mirror, Blake saw her reflection staring right back at her.

What she saw was proof. _I made a mistake!_

The clone flickered and vanished, leaving her alone. For some reason the display encouraged panic that had Blake moving so that she could press her back against her support. Her breathing was short and quick as she stared at where her afterimage had been hunched over, helpless and afraid. She didn't know how much time passed as she stood staring at that empty space when she doubled over in response to another round of pain that coursed through her body.

That was when she saw it. Gazing down at herself, Blake could see her Aura that glowed around her body. Instead of a stable outline, however, she watched as it fluctuated and spiked in time with her physical convulsions.

She didn't cut him out. She had torn Adam from her heart and soul, uncaring of the collateral damage that she bore witness to. His absence was overwhelming, the void that he once occupied staggering.

_God, are people really this _lonely_?_

Like her soul, her heart contorted in response to this self-harm. Letting go of the netting in order to clutch at her chest, Blake dropped to her knees. It was excruciating. Was Adam going through something like this? Because of her? She didn't mean it to be like this! It was just…she just…he…

_ADAM COME BACK!_

Blake's forehead smacked against iron. The impact did little to distract her as she screamed and hollered, begging Adam to come back. Tears streamed down her face, sobs mixing with her shrieks.

Adam wasn't there anymore. Her mental cries echoed in the gaps within her while the verbal ones were taken away by wind and distance.

He wasn't coming back; she had made sure of that. _What have I done!?_

The train was putting miles of separation between them. It had been meant to keep Adam from coming for her so that she could obtain her own freedom. What an insane, idiotic idea that was! If this was what freedom was supposed to be, if this loneliness was what awaited her, then she didn't want it!

The train was taking her away from Adam. The knowledge that each second spent here meant another hundred feet being added had Blake moving. She pushed herself up, the girl stumbling to her feet. How she was going to get off, how she was going to find Adam, none of that mattered. She just needed to leave!

She made her way to the edge of the car where she had last seen Adam. Each step was followed by another stumble or shove that had Blake bumping against the cargo in her way. With each of her lurching movements, a clone just like before manifested behind her, all of them frozen in a picture of torment.

The bow at her head had started coming loose. Beneath the unraveling fabric were cat ears that swiveled and shook, ending when they flattened themselves on top of her head as if to add another visible indication of her fright.

The next time a clone sent her staggering to the side, there was nothing to stop her, the ankle-high railings at the edges of the flatbed serving to trip her and send her falling right over the side to descend into the depths of Forever Fall.

* * *

Blake was pulled out of her memories when she felt a gentle grip on her arm. She looked down to gaze into pools of sympathetic silver.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Ruby added a comforting squeeze with her words. "I hope she's okay now."

Her young leader wouldn't know it, but the gesture convinced Blake just how fine she was. "She is. She was lost for a while but she got what she wanted."

"Well don't worry!" Ruby released Blake so that she can thrust a thumb in her own direction. "I'll be extra careful! I'm going to wait and make sure that Weiss and I are perfectly compatible if we ever decide to bond!"

The heiress in question crossed her arms and glared at Ruby. "I'll save you the trouble: we're not and we never will." Apparently done with the discussion, Weiss walked off to her own corner of the room to brood if Blake had to guess.

Ruby was taken aback by the hostility in Weiss's tone, appearing dejected as she tracked her partner. "I guess I'm still just 'fine' for her."

Yang came up behind her sibling to ruffle her hair. "Eh, don't let the ice princess get ya down! Last night you were a hazard to her health so I call this an upgrade! Four years should give you plenty of time to get her to like you enough."

Ruby sighed, still a bit down. "I guess." She gave Yang a hopeful look. "But in case it doesn't work out, you and me can always bond, I mean, we're sisters! I'm sure we're compatible enough!"

Her older sister used her hand's position on her head to reach back, grab her hood, and pull it over Ruby's face. "Sorry little sis, but being on your team is all you're going to get from me. If you want a bonder you're going to have to break out of that shell of yours and get to know Weiss better."

"I don't need to break out of my shell!" Ruby argued. She attempted to pull her hood from over her head but Yang was persistent. She blindly slapped at her arms. "Let go!"

Blake brought up a hand to hide the grin that the sisters' antics inspired. _Well, at least things won't be boring._

The spectacle heartened her. While she may be lying about her past, she hadn't been dishonest about finding what she wanted. Here at Beacon, it seems that she found the life that she had hoped to return to: of fighting for what's right and making the world a better place.

_Hypocrite._ The insult served to lengthen her grin. Ruby had spoken similar words when they had formally met, yet Blake had shot them down. What had changed?

Everything. She had hoped, but she didn't allow herself to truly believe that it could happen. Yesterday she had found herself in an unknown environment surrounded by people who she knew nothing about. Anything could've happened, and having firsthand knowledge of how things can go wrong had her expecting the worst. She could've easily ended up with a team that was as violent and unforgiving as her previous cause.

But she got Team RWBY. It was a team led by an innocent fifteen-year-old and her sister who teased and adored her as any older sibling should. Both of them were honest souls that were driven by their ambitions to help people.

"Besides, I got my own partner to get to know better." Releasing Ruby, Yang directed a friendly smile to Blake. "How about it? Up to seeing how compatible we can be?" She waggled her eyebrows in a mock form of suggestion.

Blake was glad she hadn't removed her hand from her mouth so that her partner couldn't see how the corners of her lips did a complete reversal. This may be what she wanted, she may be able to do some good here and enjoy it, but this was still the real world. Two of her teammates may be more than she could ask for, but a glance at number three reminded her of the perils that could ruin everything.

Weiss's position showed off the crest of her jacket perfectly. For a moment, Blake was back on that train, surrounded by the crates that were adorned with that snowflake-shaped insignia. She remembered the aversion that seeing the mark dredged up and how it was the actions of families such as Schnee who were to blame for the continued discrimination of the faunus.

This was a selfish fantasy that she was indulging in, no different from her books. She was hiding from the real world and entertaining herself with visions of fiction. Weiss, the ears she hid with her bow, and the past she hid with lies, they were all around her: catalysts that held the potential to turn everything upside down if they became mixed together.

There came a tap at her shoulder. "Hey, Remnant to Blake!" Blake blinked and became aware of how Yang was standing in front of her and looking concerned. "You okay partner?"

"Sorry, I was wondering what's taking Ozpin so long. We've been waiting for a while now."

Another lie made to preserve this illusion. She was committed to becoming a Huntress and dedicating her life to a career that will allow her to atone for her crimes. Her best case scenario would be getting through these next four years without complications and graduating as an official slayer of the creatures of Grimm.

She made mistakes, had learned from them, and she would not repeat them. This included her trust. Never again would she give it up so easily. She can enjoy her time with Ruby and Yang but she can never allow them to get too close. Her past made it impossible.

And if the worst happened anyway? As much as she prayed that it wouldn't, it was also her past that proved that anything was possible. She didn't have a plan, not right now, and she wasn't sure what she could possibly do if this goes bad. Where could she go?

She hoped an idea will come to her soon. If she had to, she was willing to abandon yet another cause and alienate herself from her associates.

If there was one thing that she had learned, being alone was not the worst thing that could happen. It was giving time for everything you cherished to betray you.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_That was haaaaaarrrrrrd!_

**Brain: **WE ARE NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!

_...Well, maybe not until later._


	2. First Mornings

The noise lacked any significant volume but, even hidden, Blake's sensitive ears heard it enough to rouse her from slumber. It helped that she was a bit of a light sleeper; a byproduct of her times with White Fang before and after it had changed. Sleep when you can but be ready to head out for the next rally or assignment at a moment's notice.

"You can leave it right here, I'll take care of it," came whispered assurances.

It _was_ difficult to get out of a perfectly soft and warm bed though. Extended boycotts and protests would have the determined members resting on the streets and Blake, of course, was such a member at the time. The actual bases and sanctuaries that they would establish for themselves were better but not by much as a good number of them had been repurposed at the spur of the moment. They tended to be overcrowded with hard mattresses and ratty sheets needing to be shared.

And although she had to share the room with her three teammates, Blake's first impressions of their dorm were positive as it was clear that it was meant to hold four people. Other than the same number of beds that lined one end of the room, there were four desks spread out on the other that included their own shelves that hung above them on the wall. With a bookcase planted under the tall window, Blake would have plenty of spots to store her collection of novels along with their textbooks. Beacon was a combat school but it was still a school.

Fighting against the grogginess, Blake sat up in her bed and wiped the sleep from her eyes. A look to the entrance of their dorm revealed it to be ajar and a pile of suitcases and other luggage were stacked next to it.

Stepping inside, Yang had a suitcase in each hand that bulged with the amount of miscellaneous items that had been stuffed into them. The blonde seemed unaffected by their potential weight with how easily she added them to the pile without a single sign of strain. She was about to walk back for more until she noticed that Blake was up.

"Mornin' Blake!" Yang greeted with a wave and a friendly smile.

"Morning Yang." Her voice was a bit raspy and it didn't seem she was quite awake yet with how she lifted a hand to hide a yawn. "What are you doing?"

"Getting our things. They just dropped them off a minute ago."

Blake should've figured as much considering the sight. The giant airship that had brought them in had carried more than just students. While Beacon was willing to provide them boarding and other facilities but clothing and other personal effects had to be brought in by the students which were tagged and stored in the cargo hold. When they had been given their keys and dorm assignments yesterday, they had been assured that their luggage would arrive on time before classes would start.

The faunus took a look at the clock to find that it was five minutes past six. Well, they were getting their stuff in the promised time but Blake would've preferred a day to get properly settled in; classes were supposed to start today. Not that anyone had felt like voicing objections at the time as the excitement of their initiation had caught up to them and left them wanting nothing more than to collapse into their bunks once they got them.

The early hour did little to dampen Yang's enthusiasm, the girl humming some upbeat tune that Blake didn't recognize as she went to retrieve whatever of their baggage was left. When she slid out of bed, Blake saw that Ruby and Weiss were still sleeping. At the foot of the heiress's bed were neatly-stacked white cases.

Ah, that's right. Not all of them had to wait as Weiss had contacted her personal bellhop to transport her luggage to their room.

"Would you like some help Yang?"

Yang had already disappeared back into the hall but she still heard Blake. "Eh, if you want. There's not really that much-." There came a yelp and a _thud_.

"Yang?" The sounds had Blake quickening her pace to reach the open door. The sight that greeted her was the blonde bent over to examine the tag of a black duffle bag that she held the straps of but was making no move to lift it. Blake didn't need to see her name on the tag to know that it was hers.

"What do you have in here?" Yang asked. "Bricks?"

Blake grinned with amusement. "Books."

Her partner gave her a cursory glance before her bare foot nudged the bag which was followed by an experimental shake to coax the sound of rustling paper. "…That was my second guess."

"I'll take it."

Yang ignored the proffered hand. "Nah, I got this." Unlike her previous attempt, this time she lifted the duffle with the same ease as the others. "Just had to compensate for the weight."

Blake didn't doubt that. Yesterday she had witnessed the brawler punching a bear-like Ursa through several trees of the Emerald Forest followed by the amazing spectacle of holding open a Nevermore's beak with one arm while the other fired off shells down its throat. She would not be so easily felled by books whether they be hardcover or soft.

If Blake hadn't seen it before she might find it difficult to believe that the buxom blonde strutting around in a top and short shorts while resuming her tune was the same person who performed those feats. Compared to her sister's childlike innocence and awkwardness, Yang was much more carefree and confident as was clearly displayed with how she had waved so enthusiastically to Blake during their first meeting with a bashful Ruby being dragged behind her.

The faunus found it impossible to not like her and it was that nature that convinced her to partner up with her. It helped that it had been easy to find her as the blonde had been calling out to no one in particular during her "boring" trek through Grimm-infested territory. Blake had observed Yang's encounter with the Ursi from the shadows and witnessed firsthand her unwavering confidence in the face of danger…followed by an explosion of power and fury when one golden strand of hair spelled doom for one of the monsters.

Surprisingly, Blake found her rage to be nearly comical considering the reason and had stepped in to take care of the second Ursa. In the wake of its collapsing body, lilac met amber with Blake throwing a grin for good measure that Yang eventually returned with a quip to signal another emotional switch. There would be additional ones that would have Blake rolling her eyes or smiling but each action was accompanied with a stroke of amusement and the assurance that she could live with this for the next four years.

There were a few more bags and Blake offered a good morning to Ren who was stuck with the same chore – not looking happy about it - before she tried to locate tags with the name _Belladonna_ written on them. To her surprise, Blake found one left – the other three were marked with _Xiao Long_. The explanation that Yang had saved her own baggage for last touched the faunus and she grabbed one of them to haul with her own.

"By the way," Yang spoke when they passed each other, "our uniforms came in too. I placed them on the desk. You can shower and change first."

"You carried in most of the luggage," Blake argued, unwilling to accept such kindness without a fight. "You should go first."

"You'll get sick of waiting, trust me." Since her hands were filled again, Yang had to shake her head forcibly in order to direct Blake's attention to her lengthy mane of messy hair. "These babies require special attention." She used her foot to kick the door closed. "Besides, I need to find my hair dryer."

Well she couldn't argue with that. "Thank you."

The uniforms were laid out on a desk like Yang said, all neatly folded and protected by clear plastic. With them were four coffee mugs stamped with Beacon's insignia which amused Blake to no end when she remembered that the Headmaster could always be found with one in hand. She preferred tea instead of coffee but, for all she knew, it might be something else that Ozpin always drank. She took her uniform and the hanger that was provided but left the mugs for later.

If there was a complaint that Blake had to make for the dorm rooms it was that the door on the left side offered a single bathroom while the one on the right was a closet to store their clothing. With a team of four, she would think that it would be more efficient to supply two bathrooms so things wouldn't get backed up but figured that the public restrooms and showers would counteract it if students were willing to make the trip which, after their trials in the Emerald Forest, they did.

She put that concern to the back of her mind as soon as she entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. At the very least, the room was rather spacious. Now that she had her privacy…

Her violet-furred ears took advantage of their freedom as soon as Blake unraveled her bow, flexing and twitching in order to work the stiffness out of them. While she had taken special care to select a covering that wouldn't be uncomfortable, being tied down all night and restricted to the barest of movements caused some discomfort that needed to be relieved. It was a small price to pay for.

She got the water running before stripping out of her sleepwear, and by the time Blake had pulled out her uniform and hung it up on the door it was hot enough for her. This time she couldn't stop herself from purring with the knowledge that her teammates wouldn't be able to hear as the soothing heat soaked and soothed her body. She may live up to the stereotypical noises that people suspected a cat faunus such as herself can make but she enjoyed a hot shower as much as any other human.

It made that unflattering theory that some believed – whether as a cruel joke or actual seriousness – about faunus licking themselves for cleanliness agitate her so easily. Her cat ears, however, did flatten themselves against her head in order to keep exposure of water in her sensitive canals to a minimum.

She stayed as long as necessary, mindful of her team. She stepped out of the shower and used the supplied towels to dry off. Then, with her stomach clenching with anticipation, Blake threw on her uniform.

She chose to forego the stockings and while she had some reservations about the skirt, she ultimately paid it no mind. Her measurements had been taken beforehand yet she was mildly impressed with how the shirt, vest, and jacket fitted so well. The gentle, earthly shades of brown were pleasing to the eye. The mirror let her check herself out and Blake found it impossible to stop the smile that spread across her face.

_So here we are, _she mentally conversed with her reflection. _Blake Belladonna: student of Beacon and future Huntress. Ready to begin our new life?_

She felt her ears flutter with the excitement that the thoughts bred and the mirror let her see the movement.

_Oh…right._ The feeling diminished as did her smile. Sighing, the faunus picked up the band and placed it on her head before retying the bow to hide her ears from sight.

Whether by Yang or her own free will, Ruby had awoken and, funnily enough, was admiring her own uniform. Hearing Blake's reappearance, the young leader whirled around and the faunus had to stop herself from fidgeting at the intense, silver-eyed stare that was examining her so thoroughly.

"Awesome," Ruby breathed out.

Blake barely heard it and she felt her cheeks grow warm at the compliment. She wasn't sure how to respond and she was spared from doing so when Ruby snatched her cloak and disappeared in a shower of rose petals. Blake felt a rush of wind and heard a quick "Morning Blake!" at her side that ended with the door shutting behind her.

Embarrassment was temporarily replaced with astonishment as Blake whipped her head around. She had never seen Ruby move that quickly before.

"It's her Semblance."

Blake turned back to find Yang sitting in front of an open suitcase, various items – including a yellow hair dryer – having been placed around her. "Speed?"

Yang nodded. "A-yup."

"Impressive." The comment was sincere. For a girl who wielded a gigantic scythe, Blake wouldn't expect that to be her ability. She was fast but when Ruby moved she couldn't even track her. "I think I can guess what yours is."

"Flashy, I know," Yang admitted with a proud expression. She collected some bottles of shampoos and conditioners from the case and dumped them with her hair dryer. "Yours is pretty cool too. I didn't get a good look at it but are you able to create clones of yourself?"

"Temporary copies," Blake explained, her own pride flickering across her face. "I use them for distractions and boosts but that's about it."

"Really?" Yang gave her an exaggerated frown. "So I guess you can't use them for something useful like sending them to class instead? Do your homework for you? Brush your hair?"

Her partner's tone was light but it did little to stop a frown – this one not exaggerated – from appearing while Blake tensed defensively. "No."

"Woah there." Yang held up her hands in defense, expression becoming apologetic. "It was just a joke but I'm sorry if I offended you. Don't get me wrong; that ninja stuff _is_ pretty cool."

The genuine apology and a reminder that joking was something that her partner seemed to enjoy did ease her stance. The praise served to wipe away the rest of her irritation. Blake knew that her reaction wasn't entirely Yang's fault. Being a faunus, she had come to expect ridicule and insults from a human and the joke, while innocent, had initiated a reaction that had become instinctive.

_Would it have been a joke if she knew? _ Blake questioned. Yang and Ruby were both caring individuals but did that extend to faunus? Humans can be the best of friends with each other but the worst of enemies when it came to another race. Weiss she expected hostility but the interactions between her other two teammates and faunus were still an unknown to her.

Blake was wary about asking but she had seen others of her kind having been accepted into Beacon. Best thing to do was to wait and watch although she didn't know what good it would do her in the end. Prejudice or not, Blake had no intention of revealing her heritage to them either way. Not so much because it meant she was a faunus but because it would eventually reveal her ties to the White Fang which could cause irreparable damage, _especially_ with the Schnee heiress.

Everything had gone quiet in the dorm except for the sound of running water. Blake purposely chose not to break it and hoped that Yang would go back to sorting through her things. To her surprise, the raven-haired girl found Yang examining her like how Ruby had done before. The corners of her lips quirked up.

"You look pretty good in that for a ninja."

Her compliment invoked the same cheek-burning response. Looking down to hide them, Blake fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "I'm not much of a fan with this piece."

"You seem like a real big one when it comes to that bow," Yang countered. "I don't think I've ever seen you without it."

Blake continued to fiddle with the material but her cheeks cooled significantly. Yang had mentioned the bow before but that had been before they were partners and Blake was able to brush it off. "It's important to me."

"Oh." She wasn't looking at Yang but Blake could hear how her tone became muted. Then it came back with a bright, "Well, I can understand that! Ruby always wears that cape of hers unless she's sleeping. And I did say I liked the bow. It suits you."

The relief of how the simplicity of the excuse saved her encouraged Blake to meet Yang's warm gaze. "Thanks."

Yang nodded with a sunny smile before going back to uncovering more of her things, happy that any unpleasantries had been avoided. Blake actually felt a slight bounce in her step as she made her way to the pile, picking out her own bags to sort through.

The shower being turned off was all too noticeable given the peaceful air that had been established. A minute later, the door swung wide open and out stepped the young leader of Team RWBY, clad in her school uniform. Unlike Blake, she had taken to wearing the stockings and the faunus noted that Yang had apparently spoken true about the cape as Ruby had the red cloth hanging from her shoulders.

That cloak was lifted with the motion of Ruby's twirl to show off her attire. When she stopped, it was to look at her teammates with the clear expectations of compliments. Her arms remained stretched out as were her lips.

Blake still found it impossible to resist Ruby once that bubble she generated around her sucked her in. Within it, she became infested with that energetic cheerfulness that wasn't satisfied with being contained within such a small body. So when her leader beamed at her, Blake had to smile and offer a flattering, "Awesome."

Pleased with the approval of one subordinate, Ruby turned to the other…and paled considerably.

Blake saw the source of her distress. Rising from the floor with slow movements, Yang stood up to her tall height. Whatever expression was on her face caused Ruby to shake her head in denial.

Yang nodded hers in reply.

Ruby's head shook with a bit more fierceness.

Yang upped the speed of her nod and added a step towards her sister.

Ruby took a step back and peered over her shoulder to the safety of the bathroom that seemed so far away now.

Yang used the moment of inattentiveness to charge.

Ruby "Eeped!" and made a hasty retreat, grabbing the door with the full intention of slamming it in the blonde's face. For someone with speed as her Semblance, she was too slow. As soon as her hand grabbed the knob she was forced to let go when Yang tackled her.

With her sitting position, Blake couldn't see what, exactly, was going on when the sisters disappeared and the sound of them hitting the floor came afterwards. To anyone that wasn't quickly becoming accustomed to their antics, it would sound like one of them was being strangled…which even Blake had to admit was probably happening.

"So cuuute!" came Yang's squeal.

Blake had to rest her head against a stack of suitcases, eyes squeezing shut while teeth bit down on her lip to prevent her laughter.

On the sole bed that still had an occupant, Weiss rolled around to better present her back towards them.

* * *

**_=Two Years Ago=_**

The knight was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Resting on one knee with helmeted head bowed and armored knuckles planted into the marbled floor, it appeared like a silent guardian awaiting commands or, in this case, to keep watch until an intruder would have it rising to its considerable height. A column held an equally gigantic longsword off to the side at enough of a distance that would allow the knight to reach out and arm itself to vanquish anything that may pose a threat.

When Weiss stepped off the stairs and a heel clicked audibly against a white tile, the knight remained where it was and she didn't even give it a glance.

As enormous as the suit of armor was, its height and bulk seemed modest in comparison to the main entrance hall of the Schnee manor. The stairs that the heiress descended from wound up to three floors of height and the hall stretched at a rather incredible length towards the massive double-door entrance. Along the expansive walls were portraits of Schnee family members and ancestors mixed with expensive oil paintings of beautiful sceneries, the Schnee Quarry chief among them.

To show off more of the family's wealth, a number of statuettes, vases, and even archaic weapons with decorations and polish meant to counteract their timeworn surfaces were on display. Hanging from the ceiling was a luxurious crystal chandelier. In response to the approaching night, the candles were lit to supply light that caused the whole thing to glitter.

Aspects of the manor may seem medieval, but all of it was meant to display how the Schnee family had risen to such prominence in a generation of time when Weiss's grandfather had formed the SDC and achieved such gains before handing the reigns to his son. While the SDC may seem young when compared to the other Dust companies that had come before it, none of them had expanded as much or as quickly. The size of the manor and the riches it contained were meant to show all of Remnant as to who was at the top when it came to providing mankind its greatest discovery and key to its civilization.

Weiss moved across the hall, disappearing into one of the corridors where the marble tiles gave way to expensive rugs. Additional displays of material wealth lined one side while the other had windows that offered a limited view of the darkened courtyard and the lavish garden that landscapers had dutifully warped and tamed out of nature with smooth hedges and cultivated rose bushes. The Schnee manor was a monument that spoke of greatness.

It was also a fortress. The manor sported a wide-range of high-tech defenses and detection systems in these old-fashioned exhibits that were meant to keep people out. Behind the paintings were security cameras, outside an invisible laser net that was configured to respond to the intrusion of humans and non-humans alike. Selected tiles on the floor were pressure plates that could trigger biological or mechanical armed responses. There were at least two fortified bolt holes that members of the Schnee family could retreat to and be completely safe until the danger has passed or was put down.

It was a prison. Everything that was designed to keep people out was also meant to keep _her _in.

A pair of servants, their arms empty and steps unhurried, hinted to their retirement to their quarters. Their backs were nonetheless straight and, upon sighting the heiress, they were quick to bow. Weiss gave them no response, passing them with a walk that was purposeful while she kept her scroll tight at her side.

The lingering aroma of a dinner recently cooked assisted Weiss in locating her target even if she knew where to find him. Everything here was like clockwork, including habits. A drawn-out day of business meant a late night return. Fortunately, it was an instance that would lead to a relaxing meal cooked by a staff member who was on the verge of retiring for bed so that they may reawaken in time for breakfast. After that, a drink and going over the financial records of the day's earnings in preparation for what may be in store for tomorrow.

It was a quiet night. More advantageously, it was a night after several that were similar. No slamming doors, no curses being spat, nothing thrown or broken. Weiss had been planning for such a time and it was inconceivable to miss such a perfect moment. Tempers are at an all-time low and her arguments won't be so hastily dismissed.

All it would take is one call to ruin everything, a single bit of news delivered by a servant to shatter the entire mood. And with her experience, she knew how things could become so warped in so little of time. She had to strike now.

The main dining hall was nowhere near as massive but it was still too big for the few who actually dined here. At the center was a long table that had an exquisite silk cloth draped over its surface. Over the scent of food, Weiss could smell the recent polish of the paneled walls; apparently the cleaning staff had managed to come through before the master paid a visit.

The solitary figure was seated at the far end of the table, occupying one of the many chairs that surrounded the furniture but were hardly used. As Weiss suspected, there was the illumination of the scroll in his hand, his finger having been in mid-swipe before she had entered. A miniscule shift of her vision let her see the glass that held a generous measure of whatever liquid currently filled it. The color matched what was in the crystal decanter – a quarter empty.

Eyeing the expensive container and how the light of the nearby fireplace danced across the crystalline surface, Weiss wondered if she should truly consider his pickings of the liquor cabinet – possessing its own locks to dissuade the introduction of poisons – the advantage that she thought it was.

Mercifully, he had never overly-indulged in such a vice no matter how furious he would become. If Weiss had to credit him for something, it was his sense that such a route would further deteriorate the situation both in the office and at home. Instead, he restrained himself to such helpings to relieve enough of the stress to soften his resistance against sleep. She hoped that it would work to keep the matter strictly business.

However, she would make it personal if she had to.

Weiss pulled out a chair for herself at the opposite end of the table. No measure of closeness would work in her favor and she knew it would be an insult to the both of them if she tried. She set herself down and brought up her scroll.

She was aware of his gaze on her, eyes that she had inherited tracking her movements. He had set aside his glass but the scroll remained up, especially when he saw hers. It did little to weaken Weiss's straight-back posture or put any form of hesitation in her fingers' movements as she tapped her screen.

Eventually the crackling of the fire was joined with an insistent beeping while an indication light blinked on. It lasted for the second it took him to accept the transfer that uploaded her organized files to his screen. Those icy blues broke away from Weiss in order to view them.

Weiss's, on the other hand, stayed on him. She set her scroll down on the silk-clothed table but didn't relax her posture. It was more than just the profiles, the schematics, and the rest of the data that she had gathered; she had to make sure that he knew that her stance was one of sincerity and not that of selfish greed of a fifteen-year-old that was going through rebellion.

She was on the lookout for warning signs and had to make sure that her internal ease didn't show at her exterior when she didn't find them. He was leaning slightly forward, one hand keeping his scroll held perfectly straight while the other swiped a slow, steady finger across the screen as he cycled through them but giving him time to read them carefully. Not once did it break to acquire the full glass at his side.

Unfortunately, she knew he hadn't gotten very far when he spoke, "I thought we talked about this."

Weiss had to quell her irritation with a note that he was still staring at his scroll. "I mentioned it but the situation hadn't left much room to sufficiently discuss it."

That had been a month ago and two weeks after another funeral. Weiss would discover that it had apparently been too soon. Not so much because of any emotional burdens that may've lingered – they were far beyond that, the both of them -, but the work that needed to be done in order to promote a proper replacement. That and the condolences to surviving kin, review of security measures, and other forms of damage control had him exchanging barely a couple sentences with her concerning the subject before he was right out the door.

He offered a short nod of his head but little else. It was only after another motion of his finger and a scan with his eyes that Weiss saw the digits that held his scroll curl for just a fraction. She had been keeping track of the number of swipes and guessed that he was reading far enough that he saw the distinctive similarity of the profiles.

Their names, their status, and their _price_ would provide heavy weight for recommendations. Weiss had done a lot of research to make sure that not only would the best be chosen, but they would match well with the fighting style that she decided on.

That, at least, her father seemed to approve of. After going through the last of the profiles he murmured, "An elegant style."

The only kind worthy of a Schnee. A sword may seem out of place in a world full of advanced technology but it taught more than fighting: it taught you discipline, balance, stamina, grace, speed, and coordination. The style of this swordplay in particular capitalized on it with swift, elegant strokes and stabs meant to slay your enemy with clean and accurate strikes, not the clumsy and savage swings of a more cumbersome weapon.

Besides, technology may have become prevalent in society, but the mystical elements that mankind had weaponized allowed them to overcome those weaknesses. Weiss had made sure to take her own abilities into account when it came to the construction of her weapon.

_That_ did not go as smoothly with him. He flipped his scroll around so that she could see the schematic before the disapproving tone came, "You didn't do this."

There was no use lying to him. Keeping a straight face, Weiss admitted, "I didn't. I convinced Fulgun to help me with the design based on the ideas that I supplied him and the resources that would be available to him."

There was a slight arch to his brow whether it was because he hadn't expected her to admit it or because he hadn't expected her to do it that easily. He flipped the scroll back around. "The design _is _unique as are the ideas. Whether the resources will be available or not is uncertain."

Weiss felt the lowering of her own brows, flawless skin stretching with them, but stayed quiet.

The rest of the readings passed on in silence. When he was done, he set aside the scroll and finally obtained his glass. Weiss translated that as a move to bide time to go over the details and come up with his own approach to handle the affair. The heiress knew that was a polite way of thinking of how to keep her jailed here.

"My first question," he started, setting his empty glass aside, "is why?"

"Should that not be obvious?" Weiss asked with as much civility as she could muster. "We're at war father, and I prefer not to spend it as a defenseless target. We have our resources and skilled hands - the best that money can buy -, but our enemies are proving more and more tenacious. They only have to get lucky once and then what will I do?"

"A valid point and one I agree with. What I do not agree with is where you expect to go to accomplish this. What business does a Schnee have with such beasts? We control the supply of weapons so let the soldiers do the fighting. It's pointless and counterproductive."

"I do not expect to _join_ them. I'm not stupid enough to lower myself to such an occupation when the destiny of our family is at stake. I'm just going to take advantage of their facilities to become stronger. The trainers that I picked out will be able to recommend me to them."

"I see no reason why you can't simply let your trainers do that here."

That was going to be the hardest part of the argument but it was the most important. Even if Weiss ended up getting all she asked, if she didn't have this then everything would be for nothing. Beacon offered more than just a way to make her stronger: it gave her freedom.

She would not let her desperation show unless she wanted to risk losing it though. "It is ranked as the top combat school on the entire planet. Its professors are all former Huntsmen and Huntresses who have years of experience and its libraries carry all the gathered knowledge on how to fight. It is the safest and best place there is."

"Safe?" he scoffed. "They send you out to fight monsters."

"That's why they only accept the best and the brightest to kill them. Do you doubt my abilities father?"

He waved it off. "No, of course not. Don't ask such a preposterous thing. You are the brightest and most gifted child there is and I'm proud of you Weiss. Anything you want - anything you wish -, you can achieve it."

"Then let me have this."

"I will, and you can have it here."

Weiss had the hindsight to place her hands beneath the table to keep them out of view so that her father wouldn't see how they balled into fists. Even at the young age of fifteen, she possessed a good handling of her emotions when it came to these debates. Her first lessons specifically stressed how letting your emotions control you was letting your opponents do the same and turn the argument in their favor.

But she was still a fifteen-year-old girl. A girl who has gotten sick and tired of having been caged for so long and desired to be released no matter what it took. And if her father was allowed to be angry then why can't she?

"Here?" Manicured nails started digging into her palms. "I can do nothing here."

Her father looked at her incredulously. "This is your birthright. All of this will be yours one day."

"But it _isn't_!" Weiss snapped. "Do you not understand that!?" She was barely aware of the sound of the chair toppling over behind her or how she was now clutching the edge of the table as she shot to her feet. Her glare easily cut the distance that separated the two of them. "_None_ of this is mine!"

She gestured around them. "This is _yours_! Everything in this mansion was built by you and grandfather! When you took over the company, anyone just had to look at something like this to know of your greatness! But what of me, father? I'm just another trinket that you keep locked away here, away from the world! No one knows anything about me!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Now it was her father that was up. He was keeping better control of his voice but there was nothing he could do about the offended expression on his face or the color that was encroaching it. "Of course they do!"

"Oh, right," Weiss replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm not a trinket; I'm a delicate songbird that performs in front of the masses in another of your monuments. How is that going to help me? How does that make me a worthy successor of the Schnee name? What does White Fang have to be afraid of me for, father?"

That seemed to put a stop to whatever he was going to say next. Emboldened, Weiss replied, "_That's _what Beacon will do for me. There, I can become powerful and people will know of it! They will recognize me as a Huntress, a slayer of monsters, the most talented there is! The Fang will know and they _will_ fear _me_! I will show them the futility of their actions against us and prove to everyone why our family is strong!"

The rant left Weiss leaning over her end of the furniture, her hands bunching up the white table cloth while her breaths came heavily. For once, it was her father who seemed astounded by her anger instead of the other way around. The only reason Weiss didn't smile in satisfaction was due to the dread of the possibility that she had just blown her chances.

Yet her father didn't lash back at her like she expected him to. In fact, that color of outrage had fled entirely and her own glare had successfully melted his own. He had dropped back into his chair but Weiss remained standing, her eyes not leaving him for a moment.

When he went for the decanter, Weiss realized she had won.

"Fine," he spoke after downing his refilled glass. Some of the edge came back to his features but the heiress could see that it was mostly for show. "You'll have your teachers but it is _you_ who will have to get to Beacon."

Weiss's grip on the table relaxed and instead of retrieving her chair she straightened up. She knew what he was talking about and she had expected it. To get into Beacon, she needed to make up for what time she hadn't spent in a regular combat school during the next two years. That wouldn't be a problem as she was Weiss Schnee after all: the brightest and most gifted daughter of the Schnee head. She'll gladly take any challenge and exceed it.

"Then I have nothing to worry about." Weiss retrieved her scroll but, again, made no move to do the same to her chair as she stepped around it to get to the door.

"You can tell Fulgun that he'll have his resources."

It was because she had her back to him that Weiss smiled when she reached for the door. "I will."

"After that, I think he'll be needing a new job."

The smile died and Weiss froze with her hand on the knob. She turned her head so that her left eye was looking back at her father. "I suppose he will."

The idea that she had just ruined someone's life to get what she wanted made her uneasy but she stifled that feeling of regret. The man can find another job with another company. He was skilled in his line of work so it should be easy for him.

Weiss, on the other hand, could not count on second chances. She had won her battle but the war was still raging and sometimes sacrifices had to be made. She'll keep the casualties in mind but she'll use the memories of the fallen to push her forward, not hold her back.

And this war had quite a number of them. She doubted they were going to end anytime soon.

* * *

Yang hadn't been lying about the maintenance that she devoted to her hair. After her own shower there came the sound of a hair dryer from within the privacy of the bathroom that lasted, in Blake's opinion, almost as long as her twenty-minute cleansing with how the dryer clicked off, paused, and then started up again when the blonde found a fault that needed to be corrected. The faunus figured that such a mass of hair may be slow to dry but this seemed ridiculous.

When Yang finally did come out, she was still fussing over it. With her long mane draped over her shoulder, her fingers combed through the golden locks to locate any last minute knots. None were found to Blake's relief.

That left the R, B, and Y of Team RWBY ready to take on the day. As for the W…

"She did push herself pretty hard during initiation," Yang spoke in her defense and even Blake nodded in agreement as they scrutinized the blanket-covered lump. As wary as she was when it came to the heiress, even the faunus had to admit that Weiss possessed skill with not only a blade but her Dust spells. The combination could be rather taxing.

_Although the latter isn't that much of a surprise…_ Blake was very much aware that the vial of red Dust that she had picked up at Beacon's entrance was just one of several that the fencer had supplied herself with. There were potentially dozens of them sealed away in those specially-designed cases at the foot of her bed to be used with her Myrtenaster.

"No excuses!"

While Blake had no idea where that timid little girl from two days ago had gone, she could guess at the why. As they had speculated the day before, being faced with a test that had them facing and overcoming life-threatening danger with their comrades brought some unity within not only RWBY but JNPR. For Ruby, it seemed that it has allowed her to firmly settle herself within Beacon and become comfortable with the people around her. It certainly explained all this enthusiasm.

"This is our first official day as Team RWBY!" the red-black girl exclaimed as she unzipped a side pocket of one of her bags. She shoved a hand inside and started searching through the contents. "Preparations need to be made, starting with establishing our base of operations! We have no time to waste!"

Being made team leader probably helped. But when Ruby withdrew her hand, fingers clutching the unmistakable shape of a whistle, Blake started to wonder about the wisdom of making a fifteen-year-old the head of a Huntressing team and not expecting it to maybe go over her head. Yang didn't seem to share her fears, the blonde retrieving items from a case that hadn't been emptied yet, her sister's enthusiasm spurring her on.

It was perhaps Ruby's excitable words that roused Weiss from her slumber. The blankets shifted then fell away entirely as Weiss sat up in her bed, bare legs hanging over the side. Her arms stretched high above her head as she yawned.

This didn't deter Ruby from her chosen course of action as she quietly moved onto her partner's bed, sitting on top of her folded knees while she brought the whistle to her lips. The subtle shifting of the mattress hinted Weiss to Ruby's presence and blue orbs shifted sluggishly in their sockets to bring her into view.

Blake was prepared but still had to hide a small wince when the shrill song of the whistle stung her hidden pair of ears. Weiss had no such preparation, the heiress letting out a "Guh!" as the instrument had her jumping with those arms now flailing as she slipped and fell off the edge of her bed, landing on the floor in a heap.

Ruby jumped off the bed and managed to land properly on her feet before shouting, "Good morning Team RWBY!"

Weiss extracted her face from the wooden floor and spun around so that she could look up towards Ruby. The look she sent her leader was one of perplexity and steadily-growing anger. "What in the world is _wrong _with you?"

Oblivious to the anger being directed at her, Ruby smiled gleefully down at her fallen subordinate. "Now that you're awake we can officially begin our first order of business!"

"Excuse me?" the fencer asked, confusion beating her anger as she tried to regain her bearings. She picked herself up from the floor, idly brushing and smoothing down her nightgown.

"Decorating!" Yang supplied cheerfully. She had returned to Blake's side, her arms filled with an assortment of items that ranged from a puppy-shaped pillow, headphones, and additional hair care products such as a brush and a another brand of shampoo, this one having the picture of a samurai to display its brand.

Weiss swung towards the two of them. "What?"

Blake had grinned at her partner's cheerfulness but now sought to keep a straight face upon finding the eyes of the Schnee heiress on her. She lifted her own suitcase into view. "We still have to unpack." It was already bulging at the seams yet despite holding out for this long the slight movement that she made seemed to be the last straw as it popped open, dumping out spare blankets, a book – of course -, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. Inspecting the mess, Blake added, "Annnd clean."

Weiss's expression was far from amused and Ruby used the moment to blare the whistle in front of her face for the second time. The fencer stopped herself from crying out this time but failed to prevent another surprised jump that had her losing her balance and falling over again.

"Alright!" Ruby positioned herself in the center of the room, the smile proving to be permanent. "Weiss, Blake, Yang, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission!" She lifted a fist to the ceiling and ended with, "Banzai!"

"Banzai!" It was not just Yang who dutifully copied her sister's actions as Blake found her voice and fist joining in with the blonde's. She couldn't stop her grin this time and she was surprised that she didn't want to.

She had to admit, this was all rather…_fun_. Seeing the members of JNPR and RWBY socializing back at the headmaster's office had the faunus become a victim of this fluttering warmth within her that put her at ease as she viewed such joy. But there had been this uncertainty that kept her rooted as the spectator. As pleasant as the scene was, there was something so alien about it that had Blake hesitating to join in until there came the subject that drifted to her previous life of misery that convinced her to step in.

She wasn't a spectator this time and that fluttering warmth had become a driving force that was being fueled by the carefree attitudes of Ruby and Yang. Such as now, it was sweeping her off her feet and throwing her forward without care to be part of these joyous acts. There was still something very foreign about all this but Blake couldn't find it in her to care.

Weiss didn't seem up to agreeing. Appearing positively exasperated, the heiress sighed and let her forehead rest against the floorboards, unwilling to face the sentence that had been dished out to her. Eventually she mumbled, "…I'm taking a shower first."

While the water came on for a fourth time, they got to work. For Blake, there was one matter of business that she couldn't wait for that involved the duffle bag that had given her partner some minor difficulties. She dragged it over to the low bookcase that she immediately claimed for herself – Ruby would have to put her stacks of WEAPONS magazines elsewhere – and took a seat.

As she had told Yang, the bag was filled with books; many of them large and cumbersome that would supply hours if not days of time in a quiet room to get through while the smaller paperbacks could be carried around on her person that she would pull out for whenever she had time to read a short chapter or two.

They had been a source of comfort in Blake's life, the other being Adam. While she had devoted herself to a cause that required dedication and action in a seemingly vain attempt to change the world, the faunus found it pleasant to close herself off from it for a time with these tomes of paper and ink. All it required was a corner, a weak light, and the turning of pages to find herself in a fictional universe that became constructed in her mind with the help of the written word.

A place that was far more pleasant and merciful than reality. Numerous times she would set aside a book, another story completed, and ponder over such divergence. Books came in a variety of genres that told a different tale for a different person at a different place with differing conflicts yet there was a general consensus that came from the hands of real-life authors. Other than the obvious exceptions such as within the tragedy genre, the formula tended to be the same whether it had been constructed for romance, fantasy, adventure, or drama: there would be times of great pain and conflict for the protagonist, yet the odds would always be beaten and a happy ending was obtained.

They were products of fiction yet constructed by ideals that the author believed and wrote down as if fact such as the triumph of evil never being granted. It puzzled Blake how such morals were so commonplace in one dimension when the relationship required the other that possessed such immoralities.

In the end, she supposed it was because they were just that: stories. They weren't real and that was the attraction for both the author and the reader. They were written and read because they could be fashioned and chosen to be lawful and just. Pen, paper, and imagination can accomplish what the real world and its incalculable variables kept in a constant state of disarray. They were an escape, nothing more, but they were not treacherous either; always true to their nature.

Lost as she was, Blake almost didn't notice a particular book that possessed a rather guilty nature she'd like to keep as secretive as her ears. She had held the black book in front of her, skimmed the red-lettered title, and was about to slide it into the shelf with the rest of its brethren before the recognition that had flown over her head did an about-face and struck her hard.

She swiftly tugged the book back, her eyes going wide as she nervously glanced around at her teammates who were suddenly way too close for comfort. Yang had pushed their beds off to the side so that she could better decorate the wall with a poster while Ruby was trying to figure out how she can get a rod and some red curtains to the hooks that topped their rather tall window. Blake used their distractions as an opportunity to slip her book into a side pocket of her duffle. She'll figure out a better hiding spot for that later.

Yang had finished smoothing out her poster that was horribly lopsided and Blake's curiosity had her examining it to possibly gain a bit of insight on her partner's interests. It proved futile as the faunus couldn't recognize any of the boys on the poster and _The Achieve Men_ was ringing no bells whatsoever.

The brawler happened to glance over and notice Blake's bewildered face. Looking between her black-haired partner and the poster, Yang adopted a similar expression before saying, "The Achieve Men."

She said it slow, as if speaking to a child, but Blake couldn't be annoyed at something that was becoming clear as being due to her own failing. She shrugged, clueless.

"The Achieve Men," Yang spoke again as if doing so would magically unlock the knowledge that Blake was lacking. Seeing no change she tried, "Geoff, Ray, Ryan, Michael, Jack, Gavin?"

Blake shrugged again and started to look apologetic.

"Mark Nutt totally supports these guys! They had a concert a couple weeks ago to commemorate their latest album _Tease It_!"

Blake had no idea who that was either but she _thought_ she remembered something going on in Vale around that time. Actually, the tune that Yang had been humming earlier sounded kind of similar to what her cat ears had been picking up before she plugged them so that she wouldn't be distracted from her reading time.

Which still left her with no idea about what Yang was talking about. "I'm sorry?"

"You should be!" Yang cried, flinging her hands up in the air. "You read a lot don't you? You've had to have at least read their comics, right?" Not waiting for an answer – possibly because she didn't want to hear another negative from Blake -, Yang looked to her sister. "Ruby, did you bring them?"

Their leader had apparently managed to get the rod and curtain up with Crescent Rose and was now using the reverse end of her scythe to slide them closed. She must've been listening in though with how she replied, "X-Ray and Vav?" She spun around to face Yang, her weapon coming with her. "Of course! They're the best!"

Blake was about to elaborate about her preference for novels and disfavor of comic books but was interrupted when half of the window curtain nearly fell over her. Unknown to Ruby, when she had turned she had brought Crescent Rose around and the super sharp blade had cut the fabric in half.

Someone was going to make it very known. "You klutz!"

All turned to behold Weiss who had stepped out with her nightgown neatly folded in her arms, having traded it for her own school uniform.

Ruby stared at Weiss and then towards the halved curtain. Realization dawned on her and she attempted to hide a fully-length Crescent Rose behind her back when she turned back to her partner. "Weiss, it was an accident!"

"And that would make how many accidents you've been responsible for?" Weiss asked angrily.

"Um…" Ruby leaned back, gaze becoming unfocused as she attempted to recollect the exact number.

"Forget it!" Weiss stomped over to her luggage and selected one from the pile after putting her sleepwear aside. A quick search produced a needle and a small spool of thread that she brought over. "I'll fix it like always!"

Ruby seemed too surprised by what Weiss was holding to offer any kind of retort. "You can sew?"

"Of course I can!" Weiss snapped, seeming offended at the idea that someone didn't believe she could do something that was likely a trivial thing to her. She tossed the severed section of fabric to Ruby. "It won't be perfect but that's because I'm not going to waste all my time to repair something you ruined!" She stepped on top of the bookcase. "Get up here and hold it in place!"

To be honest, Blake was as surprised as Ruby as she would've thought Weiss had enough servants around to do such a task without needing to learn how to do it herself. She looked over to Yang who shrugged.

"I learned to do it when Ruby tore her clothes," the brawler told her privately. "But hey," she shrugged and looked at the two girls who stood side-by-side on top of the bookcase and fussed over the curtain, "kind of cute isn't it?"

Blake didn't think that was an appropriate word to describe the scene, what with Weiss occasionally snapping and Ruby hastily trying to follow through with her instructions, but she didn't offer any argument. The softening features of the brawler as she watched the scene told the faunus that, despite what it may seem like, Yang was hoping that the girls would become closer as partners. Blake wasn't sure if that was due to the wishings that came with being an older sibling or the slack Yang was giving Weiss for previously saving Ruby.

The repair job wasn't that bad though; you'd have to peer closely to see the stitching. With that out of the way, Team RWBY's mission to decorate their dorm room resumed without a hitch as they filled the closet, the shelves, walls, and desks with all sorts of personal trinkets that they brought with them and making room when it was needed.

…Which was when they inevitably ran into their next problem. Standing back with her team, Blake had to admit that her previous assumption of the dorm offering plenty of room may've been a bit premature if the beds that had been unceremoniously tossed together in the center during the team's attempt to spruce up the place was any indication.

"This isn't going to work," Weiss stated flatly.

"It is a bit cramped," Blake admitted.

"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff," Yang offered.

"Or," Ruby contemplated, her eyes scanning the room before landing back at the middle. "We could ditch the beds…" Gasping at a sudden idea, Ruby hopped in place. "And replace them with bunk beds!"

"That sounds incredibly dangerous," came Weiss's unenthusiastic reply.

Blake did see how it could be as the beds were definitely not designed for such a thing. It was more than just putting one bed on top the other; they needed proper supports in order to make sure that they wouldn't fall while raising them at a height that whoever got stuck on the bottom bunk wouldn't hit their heads against the top. She had no idea how they were going to accomplish that.

"And super awesome!"

…It didn't mean that she was unwilling to try. And if they _were_ successful they'd end up with quite a bit of open space. She looked down at the line of girls. "It does seem efficient."

Weiss stared at the two disbelievingly. Efficiency did not seem to be prevalent on the heiress's mind when she drew her attention back to the beds. She seemed to grow increasingly uneasy as terrifying images occupied her mind. "Well, we should put it to a vote…"

It was a poor attempt at delaying the inevitable and Ruby pointed out the huge flaw in it. "I think we just did."

Blake gave a thumbs-up to her leader and Yang followed suit with her own agreeable gesture. Weiss scowled.

In the wake of this completely fair and unbiased display of democracy at its finest, the team split into their respective pairs to establish their chosen sections.

"So how _are_ we going to do this?" Yang questioned as she and Blake stood off to the side of the beds they retrieved from the jumbled mess and slid close together. "Do we just lift one and place it on top of the other?"

"It's not going to leave much room for whoever's underneath," replied Blake, sharing her previous observations. "They're too low."

The brawler hummed and scratched her head in a sign of contemplation. "Which means our best bet is to have something stacked between them. I don't really have anything that'll work though."

An idea had come to Blake but she was a bit hesitant to offer it to Yang unless they didn't have a better idea. When her partner remained stumped, Blake went to the filled bookcase. "We can use these."

The quizzical look that Yang gave her changed into wide-eyed astonishment upon seeing the armful of books that was soon presented to her. "Oh no, not your books! We can think of something else later if we have to."

"I've read them before." If anything, Yang's unwillingness was persuading Blake that the idea was a good one. The blonde had obviously picked up on her passion for reading and this combined with the small acts of kindness that she had been showing her all morning made Blake want to do this to return the favor.

She liked her books, this much was true, but she figured that they can offer her enjoyment in other ways. And she wasn't lying when she said she read them before.

It didn't stop Yang's misgivings as she inspected the stack Blake handed her before she went to acquire more. "I can see if Ruby has some she can part with. This probably won't be good for them."

Blake had faith in her novels and their sturdy covers. "Don't worry about it; I have plenty."

"Are you sure?"

The faunus saw it as fortunate that her back was turned so that Yang couldn't see her smile. "Positive."

Piling the novels evenly amongst the four legs proved to be a bigger chore than when they eventually lifted one bed on top of the other. The differing thickness per tome due to the number of pages led to multiple rearrangements to prevent any awkward tilts that could lead to disaster. When they were finally satisfied, it took a simple application of brute strength from Yang and careful steadying on Blake's part to establish their bunk beds.

"We done good," Yang declared with a nod of satisfaction.

If her partner meant constructing a precarious contraption that promised instantaneous death in response to the wrong moves of the occupants then, yes, they 'done good'. Funny that Blake felt a sense of accomplishment if nothing else than because she could already see space that they managed to free up.

"So who gets the top bunk?"

"I'll take the bottom," Blake responded. "This was my idea."

"Aw, you do care!"

The faunus blinked at the words and it took her a bit to understand that Yang had mistaken her intentions. She wanted the bottom bunk because it meant having her books in reach rather than always having to climb up and down. Her reminder that this idea was hers was meant to counter any arguments the blonde may have, not give the impression that she was doing it to accept what consequences may come if her books failed her and brought the beds crashing down.

The awkwardness she felt kept her from correcting Yang. Instead, all she did was mumble an embarrassed, "Don't shake the beds." Needing to look at anything that wasn't Yang, she checked on Ruby and Weiss's progress. She blinked again.

"Weiiiss, I need help!" Ruby pleaded, arms shaking with strain.

Her snow-haired partner made no move to get closer. "Are you nuts?"

Blake didn't know where Ruby got the rope to create her pulley system and a silent question to Yang showed that she didn't know either. There was no denying the scene though: Ruby, her hands clutching a length of rope to hoist up her bunk that was swinging precariously due to her efforts. The action wasn't doing the young girl any good with keeping it there and Weiss was maintaining her distance for the sake of her own well-being.

"Cute?" Blake queried.

Yang shook her head. "Nope. Let's give them a hand."

Once Yang took over, Ruby climbed up to the hanging furniture with several more coils of rope. With Blake's help – and a reluctant Weiss -, the three of them looped the bindings around the bed numerous times before hooking them to the ceiling. That should've been the end of it but Ruby insisted on some improvised curtains to better commemorate what she declared as Fort Rose. Obviously, Weiss wasn't too pleased at the implication that pointed to her being beneath her leader's creation.

Gazing down from her perch, Ruby inspected her team's accomplishments before proudly declaring, "Objective complete! Now our second order of business iiiisss…" She made a motion to Yang who dutifully handed her a notebook. "…classes."

Compared to her energetic beginning, the last word severely lacked it. It lasted until she spread the notebook out on her lap, pencil in hand, and then it was back. "Now we have a few classes together today. At nine we've got a-"

Weiss jerked her head up towards Ruby. "What!? Did you say nine o'clock?"

"Um…"

"Its eight fifty-five you dunce!" Spinning on her heel, Weiss ran out the door.

Ruby was taken aback by her partner's outburst and hasty exit. Soon though, she slid off her bed and followed her example by darting out the door. "To class!"

Blake was last out the door after Yang and the faunus noted that JNPR's dorm was open with all four members sticking their heads out to see what was going on. If that didn't tell Blake that they weren't in the only ones in trouble, hearing Jaune's hesitant "Class?" confirmed it. She was already at the stairs when next came, "We're going to be late!"

Eight Hunstmen and Huntresses-in-training burst out from the dormitory building and stampeded through Beacon's courtyard. Despite the threat of being late on their first day and the desperation that incited the two teams to sprint as fast as their legs could go, one thought became paramount in Blake's mind.

This was the best morning she's ever had.

* * *

This has to be the worst day she's ever had.

Well, that wasn't fully true. There were plenty of other days that Weiss Schnee could rank as being much, _much_ worse than today but her extended suffering in the present was putting her past experiences off to the side for the moment.

Life at Beacon was becoming more than what she planned on which was both a blessing and a curse. Upon taking her first steps off the airship, Weiss was struck by the image of an academy that clearly represented mankind's hazardous beginning and the advances that had been made since then.

Similar to the Schnee manor, the towers, the stone avenues, and high arches gave off a medieval appearance that masked the technology that the massive vessel that she just exited gave credence to. Yet Weiss found it refreshing. Considering that they were surrounded by Grimm-infested territory, one wouldn't think to describe Beacon as free and liberating.

Weiss noticed the differences immediately. Even when she would discover that the advanced technology that came with humanity's ingenuity was restricted to scrolls, vid-screens, holographic projectors, and rocket-propelled lockers, Weiss didn't feel the smothering air that being in her own home usually pressed on her. Other than that last one, they were all meant for academic purposes, nothing more.

The wide open fields were welcoming and even when you went deeper into the campus grounds, the expansive courtyard broke up the dormitories, library, arenas, and lecture halls that could breed a sense of claustrophobia if allowed to be packed together. There was no deception to be found here. When the faculty was comprised of former Hunstmen and Huntresses while the students themselves already had years of combat training under their belt, there was no need for a sophisticated security system or defenses to offer a suffocating blanket of security.

There was a sense of freedom here and Weiss allowed herself to close her eyes and bask in the feeling. Truly she had found her liberation and the heiress allowed a full, genuine smile appear on her face. The expression felt out of place. It was as if her features were struggling to accept something that had been missing for what must have been a lifetime.

Sadly, it would prove to be the last one she would have for a while. The sound of what had to be hopes and dreams toppling behind her erased it as she spun around to locate the source.

It was only later that she would understand that she was being presented with an omen of the dark times that were ahead: a form of red and black with white scattered around it. A perfect picture of how her efforts were about to be undone due to the introduction of a childish dolt.

This was something that had been beyond her control. Weiss had months of planning for her trainers, her weapon, her fighting style, and two years to mentally and physically prepare herself for this day (although she was overqualified concerning the former). Whatever Beacon would throw at her, she would be able to take it. She had been sure of it.

Now Fate, that was a different opponent altogether. And it can be very cruel.

It had taken a sick delight in taunting her with this latest minion. When Weiss was amidst a crowd of students, it had taken a turn of her head to spot the red-black tresses next to her. When sleep was eluding her due to insistent ramblings, the source she sought to silence turned out to be that same short fifteen-year-old. When she had been catapulted to what she assumed was a random point in the forest, it soon proved to be the continued machinations of this unseen entity when she spun around and found her icy blues locking with a silver pair.

Thus, _her_ fate was sealed.

She wasn't above compromising though. She was willing to partner up with this child if it meant avoiding one that exceeded her incompetence. If this girl was to be her underling for her entire stay at Beacon, she could put their previous disputes as water under the bridge. And _maybe_ she was 'fine'.

Fate just laughed and spat in her face.

Ruination: that was all that she would get.

Waking up this morning, Weiss gave the benefit of a doubt that this had been an elaborate ploy. That false initiation had actually been a premonition of things to come if she failed to remain vigilant and avoid this cloaked fiend. Her plans could remain intact.

A turn of a head later and there she was, this time armed. The screeching of the whistle proved to be a wake-up call in more ways than one.

So started Weiss Schnee's first morning as an official student of Beacon.

_I can't _believe _this! _Weiss mentally despaired, not for the first time and definitely not the last. It had become an unending mantra as her day went on and served to turn everything that she had just admired bitter.

What freedom was there to be had if she was to bend to the whims of a girl two years her junior? What reputation can she possibly expect to make if her leader couldn't even keep track of her schedule when she was too busy decorating? She was starting to wish that she had stayed at home to train.

No, she didn't mean that. It was the only reason that she was willing to put up with this while praying that it will somehow work out.

"Weiss! Weiss!"

Upon stepping into the lecture hall that was reserved for her Grimm Studies course, she truly wondered if such a thing could happen. Correction: _their_ Grimm Studies course. The heiress saw the waving hand before she heard the annoying chirping. Feeling her jaw clench, Weiss directed a cold stare to the one who sought her attention.

Immune to the temperature, Ruby pointed to a spot between her and her brutish sister. Blake was sitting off to Yang's side. How cute; her team was all there and waiting for her.

Weiss needed to make an additional correction. This wasn't _her_ team; it was Ruby's. RWBY for Ruby. Yet another joke that Weiss was at the butt end of.

She had tried to keep her distance for the day. As Ruby mentioned, they did have a few classes together and Weiss had managed to keep an agreeable degree of separation during then. Fortune favored her in that regard by planting other students in seats around her partner. For a good portion of the day, Weiss had been able to indulge in her fantasy of being a diligent student without restraints or distractions.

Not so for this class. Undoubtedly, Ruby wanted to make sure to rub it in her face this time. Steeling herself, Weiss took the reserved seat and forced herself to look straight ahead to avoid meeting the stare she felt being burned into the side of her head.

_It's just one class for one day, _the heiress tried to reason. It became a contest to see how long Weiss could stop herself from calculating the number of classes that were in a single day and how many days were in four years. She lost pretty quickly.

An elbow nudged into her ribs with a little too much force. Suppressing the wince and her irritation, Weiss glanced to her left. "What?"

"How was your day Weiss?" Ruby questioned with that ever present smile that had Weiss wanting to grind her teeth each time she spotted it.

She kept her cool. She may've been willing to quarrel with her partner on multiple occasions in the past but the situation has changed. Ruby got her role but she'll keep her composure in the classroom. "Fine."

Ruby's mouth twitched to show the disappointment of such a blunt tone. Pity that she didn't take the hint as her next words proved. "Just fine? We're at Beacon, Weiss! The top combat school in all of Remnant! I mean our initiation was pretty cool, but today we're actual students! We're going to be Huntresses!"

The younger girl was practically bouncing in her seat which served to annoy the heiress. _She_ had been chosen as team leader? How could Ozpin possibly think that this was such a good idea? Even though he had said they were being observed, Weiss was starting to believe that whoever had been doing the observing had missed quite a few things.

_She almost got herself killed!_ Weiss remembered. _And me along with her!_ Both instances had occurred in a span of mere minutes: from falling thousands of feet from the back of a Nevermore to the waiting stinger of a Death Stalker which she'd like to point out would've taken out Ruby had she not been there to save her.

That impulsive child was still talking. "I've been waiting forever for this! I wasn't supposed to attend Beacon until after I spent two more semesters at Signal!"

_Two years you skipped while I broke my back during mine. _She couldn't say the time had been wasted but she had used it to pour over the tomes that were in her father's library while ordering others that weren't. A bit of renovation created a training room where Weiss had spent under the gaze of a private trainer who refined her swordplay while another taught her how to properly harness the power of Nature's Wrath from an endless supply of Dust that was provided for her.

It was hard but she had done it _right_.

"So why did you come to Beacon, Weiss?" Ruby asked. "I've been wanting to talk with you but we haven't really gotten the chance."

The scarred flesh over Weiss's left eye twitched. "Ruby."

Her partner looked to her expectantly. "Yes?"

"Class is starting. Pay attention."

Ruby faced forward to see that their professor for the course had arrived. "Oh, sorry!"

Portly was certainly a word to describe Professor Peter Port as the burgundy suit he wore did little to stop the occasional jiggle of his belly that threatened to snap off the gold buttons that kept it clasped together. Weiss tried not to let such an uncouth display have her judge a man poorly as the gray of his hair and overly thick moustache and brows hinted to his advanced age. The fencer had been led to believe that the professors who attended Beacon were all Huntsmen and Huntresses who had sought to endeavor in teaching rather than spend all their time in the wilds with the Grimm so for a man like Port to grow so old spoke of great skill and experience.

_Or luck_, she thought dryly. She hadn't given up on that as an explanation for Ruby's presence. She just hoped that the stuffed heads that adorned the walls were really trophies of their professor's previous kills.

Still, her attention was drawn to the charts and diagrams that decorated a section behind the professor's desk that displayed hand-drawn pictures of different types of Grimm complete with annotations of notable features that each one possessed. While they were informative, Weiss was extra interested in the cage that was sitting at the far side of the room. The shadows and thin spaces between the bars made it difficult to see but she thought she could make out something moving within the gray metal of the box.

"Monsters!"

Weiss spun back to the front at that to see Port addressing the classroom with a sweep of his arm and boisterous bellow. Her intellectual nature kicking in, she retrieved a couple blank papers and a pencil to take down notes.

"Demons!" Port continued. "Prowlers of the night! Yes the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey!" That extended arm swung around in time with a hearty, "Ha-ha!"

Ah, starting off with ineffective introductions by vainly attempting to build tension over the subject matter combined with a poorly-executed joke to lighten the mood and appear more endearing to the crowd. The reigning silence was testament to the lack of results. Seeing nothing to be gained from the lips of their teacher at the moment, Weiss concentrated on the diagrams. Her pencil started moving as she sought to copy them.

She was the only one doing so. There were no additional sounds of writing and Weiss stole glimpses of her teammates to see what they were doing. They had their own papers out but none of them were making a move to copy anything down. Weiss felt a stab of frustration. She understood that there was nothing to learn from the opening speech – Port had switched to mentioning Vale and the other three kingdoms – but there was still material that offered wisdom if they looked for it.

_Whatever. They better not expect me to share my notes with them. _Resuming her work, Weiss kept an ear directed towards Port in case he started talking about something more noteworthy.

"That is what you are training to become!" he finished after a pointless reminder of the duties of Hunstmen and Huntresses. "But first, a story. A tale about a young, handsome man: me!"

Weiss felt a slight recession of her shoulders as her eyelids drooped in response. She was starting to pick up on the kind of character her professor was: well-mannered but rather bombastic when it came to his own accomplishments that were becoming fond recollections. Nonetheless, she wouldn't be shocked to find them on a test so it'd be wise to listen to them.

Strangely, that was when she heard the scribbling off to her left. Blinking, the fencer looked over to see Ruby bent over her portion of their shared desk, pencil moving furiously. The optimism that came with the thought of her leader actually taking things seriously and jotting down notes died instantly. Her writing utensil was going wild on the blank sheet to the point where it seemed like she was tracing one big circle.

_What is she…?_ Weiss tried to see what she was writing but Ruby's other arm blocked it from sight. She was about to lean over and tilt her head to peer over the obstruction until sense came over her and she focused back on Port. She was not going to let Ruby's antics distract her when it wasn't her concern.

"Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man. 'Peter', he told me-"

Unfortunately, Ruby's snorting and smothered giggling made it Weiss's concern. She shot the younger girl a glare.

Ruby responded by holding up the paper to her. It wasn't blank anymore. Along with a little note of _Grimm Studies Day_ and her name, there was a rather unflattering caricature of Professor Port that involved a body more bulbous than reality with stick figure-thin legs and arms. The face was rather accurate though.

The stink lines at the top were a clue but Weiss couldn't wrap her head around what Ruby was getting at until she read the capitalized title on the bottom: _PROFESSOR POOP._

…This was Ruby Rose. This was the girl who had been selected as the leader of Team RWBY. She's supposed to lead a team of Huntresses into battle against mankind's greatest enemy that was armed with teeth, claw, talon, beak, pincer, and soulless fury.

And Weiss Schnee, heiress to Schnee Dust, was supposed to _follow _this child?

There came a giggle at Weiss's other side and she didn't bother twisting around to see that it was Yang who was responsible for that and probably for the sound of a fist pounding against wood. Oh, she almost forgot; they were a duo.

_Unbelievable!_

The audible clearing of Port's throat and narrowed hairy brows brought order to Team RWBY's desk. The unspoken reprimand and the jab against her pride had Weiss sitting up straight in her seat almost instinctively. Once again she was paying for Ruby's idiocy.

The culprit was far from dissuaded. When Port's squinting gaze was directed elsewhere, Weiss returned hers to Ruby to find another misuse of school supplies at work: the younger girl balancing a pencil on her finger which was balancing one of her textbooks.

At the head of the class, Port droned on. "The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!"

Honor? Where was the honor in this? Weiss gritted her teeth, the hands she dropped beneath her desk curling into fists.

"A true Huntsman must be dependable!"

Depend on Ruby for what? Her grades? Her reputation? Her life? Her _soul_ if that was truly what they expected her to do? She had said it before: she and Ruby will never be compatible.

"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"

The only stratagem that Ruby possessed was using her finger to pick at her nose.

That. Was. _IT!_

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Port's challenge had Weiss become conscious of how her body was shaking with the rage that was developing in the face of this grave injustice that was so obvious to her yet invisible to everyone else. Ruby Rose was not a true Huntress. She was!

Maybe that was the problem. With no hesitation, Weiss shot her hand up. "I do sir!"

Those bushy brows rose, whether to convey surprise or delight with how Weiss answered with such vehemence she wasn't sure. They soon settled down. "Well then, let's find out!"

The elderly gentleman had been approaching the cage that Weiss had spotted earlier. It had advertised little life throughout the lecture but with Port's change in proximity it suddenly started shaking. Snorts and growls emitted from within. Glowing red eyes pressed themselves against the bars to better fixate on the professor.

Unperturbed by the snarling beast, Port beckoned to Weiss. "Step forward, and face your opponent!"

She would do more than that. When Weiss sprung to her feet, it was with the intention to make one thing abundantly clear to everyone: she was the only leader that Team RWBY needed.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Alrighty, I wanted to get this second chapter up before I started explaining what I want to do here as I would think that those who are reading this right now have gotten this far because they are interested and want to see more (or you're about to drop it and in that case I'm hoping to prevent that, lol). As I mentioned previously, this was an idea that came from a fan-turned-friend-turned-partner-in-crime while we were discussing - obviously - RWBY. Long story short, we were talking about what I assume is many a fan's gripe concerning certain aspects of the show with the main one being how The Stray and Black and White turned out when it came to Yang's lack of presence so we thought about ideas that could lead to potential fanmade rewrites.

But as some may know, once I get an idea, I always end up thinking of ways to make it bigger. There are a number of talented fanfic writers who have rewritten entire scenes and I don't think there are any I don't like. However, doesn't change the fact that its been done before. So thus the idea evolved from rewriting a scene to a pseudo-novelization of the series focusing on all that potential off-screen territory that our usual six-minute long episodes don't cover. However, I have read both fanmade and professional novelizations enough that I know that seeing the exact scenes in a written form are not what people want: its all the stuff that goes on _because_ of certain scenes that occur in the background. How they effect the characters, what else could've been said to make things more believable and acceptable, and so on and so forth.

As far as I know, the only fics that are out there that come close to novelizations are the ones that have OCs in them and are tagging along for the ride (**Brain: **Which nobody caaaaarrrreeesss!). Why read the thoughts and feelings of an original character when there is so much to expand on with the RWBY characters such as how Blake sees her first day of Beacon, how she feels about Ruby and Yang who are possibly the first humans she's interacting on friendly terms, and what are Weiss's own hopes and fears concerning her upbringing and being a subordinate to Ruby? Again, as far as I know, nobody's done it on this site. There might be one hidden on tumblr or something that I might be missing but I'm not sure. I don't even have a Facebook so I could be so far out of the loop.

The two chapters show what I plan on doing: a pseudo-novelization but I will be adding my own twists and spins on things with ideas. Some might be my own ideas, some from my own partner, and others can be popular fan theories or slips and mentions from the cast and directors of RWBY that I feel like grabbing onto and using. For Weiss, I'm attacking at an angle I haven't seen anyone use so far. Now, when it comes to the canon scenes, I'm doing them as you can see: I'm sticking as close as possible. Er...at least until Black and White. I'll explain that in a second. For now, its really not that hard to write out the actual canonical scenes and then play around all I want as I hope I have accomplished. For example, you know what will happen with the Boarbatusk fight scene but there is plenty of room for afterwards. Was Port's lecture really all that was needed for Weiss to do a complete 180 or could something else have occurred? Ozpin's talk with Ruby is pretty clear cut (which is why I'm not going into it) but Weiss may still need some extra persuading. And, no, it won't come from an OC; there's plenty of other canon characters out there who can do the job even better.

Now, RWBY will be the focus although JNPR will make appearances; I've got plans for them too. However, when it comes to the episodes like Jaunedice and Forever Fall, I will be pretty much cutting them out and focusing entirely on what the members of RWBY were doing during this time. Unlike Badge and the Burden, there is _loads_ of stuff I can do in not only those two episodes but the months that take place between Forever Fall and The Stray. I have two chapters planned completely from my own design that'll take place during that timeframe. All of which will lead up to Black and White. There I'm gonna be breaking from canon but I will be doing it in a way that's believable. Its those subtle shifts that can create entirely different scenarios such as what if this scene played out longer, what if things were said during then, and what if those things would lead to this character appearing here at a certain time while this character had appeared elsewhere instead of how they did in the show. This idea did start on discussion on how Black and White could've been played differently.

That's my main theme: play around but make it believable such as with the bonds. There's plenty of what we do know and what we don't know with RWBY which can lead to ideas that are acceptable if backed with some evidence of what we know such as Jaune's Aura unlocking being the basis for the bonds and then I'll be throwing more things from the show that could used with it to make people think "Aaah...I see how it can work." That's my hope anyway. Well, until Vol. 2 comes out (blargh, of course they would announce it the same week I start this). I am planning on hopefully completing this before July but shifts in real life can always delay it. Or my own diabolical brain to think up of more stuff.

So, that's my plan. Sorry for the crazy-long A/N but this will be the only one like it. This is definitely my most ambitious project and I'm excited for it. But I hold no allusions. Monty is great and awesome and I bow down before him and the rest of the staff that had been devoted to RWBY. Its amazing how far they and RoosterTeeth have come and I applaud them. As for me, I'm just a guy who likes the universe they created and I'm just using that universe and their characters to fulfill my own imaginations. In no way do I think, even for a second, that what I write is better or even on par to what they've done.

And I don't really hate OC stories...there are just very very very very few that I can say that I like. That and I carry the shame of horrible OC creations during my early fic writings so its hard to see OC and not want to turn away. The only one I can say I like and am reading actively is Gear001's _RWBYS_. If you want to see a proper use of OCs mixed with the RWBY characters, I highly advise it. Very enjoyable read. Especially if you're waiting on the next chapter for this fic.

That being said, I will see you next time. Not only do I hope you're excited for it but I hope that I can meet your expectations to give you enjoyable fanfiction.


	3. Badge and the Burden

**Author's Note: **_You know what rather ironic conclusion I came to while writing this chapter was?_

**Brain: **That the hardest part of novelization is actually novelizing the parts that do happen in the show?

_Damn right it is. You'd think it'd be easy since you're just writing down what's already occurred but noooooo…trying to make them interesting for the reader when they've seen it already is the really hard part. Not to mention me weaving my own plots into them. Just had a difficult time getting through this chapter and I hope I didn't let it show too much here. Lingering fatigue from the Black Trailer may have something to do with it._

**Brain: **Well that and the constant mini-snowstorms we kept getting the past two weeks that constantly shifted our already hectic work schedule around. Reminds me, can't wait until we get back to our sixty hour work weeks.

_As long as we can at least churn out two chapters a month we may remain on schedule despite this delay. Well, barring any more _brilliant _ideas on your part that may extend this fic more than our previously-planned chapters._

**Brain: **I'm sure we can make room for the Oobleck idea in one of them! It doesn't have to turn out into its own chapter!

_*sarcastic* Oh yeah, where have I heard that before? 'Come on xT, this can stay as a quick and fun little oneshot, I swear! Just write it and be done with it!' YOU SAID THAT FIVE TIMES AND ONLY TWO OF THEM STAYED AS ONESHOTS!_

**Brain: **And look how great they turned out to be!

_Uugghh… *rubs temples* Lets just start this already._

* * *

After Weiss pulled her dress out from within her locker, the only article of clothing left hanging was the pale blue bolero jacket. It swung in place due to the rather forceful retrieval of the former and when it stopped it was slightly turned to present half of the snowflake-shaped crest of the Schnee dynasty towards the young heiress.

The symbol was successful at galvanizing her when she saw it although it may've influenced one too many tugs against the knot of the sash which bordered on painful with how tight the makeshift belt became. That just motivated her to drive her feet and calves into her boots with similar results as the action inflicted a sting at her heels. All of this worked to feed her anger and desire to correct a mistake that should've never been made in the first place.

The fencer did exert caution upon picking up her specially-designed rapier. Holding it up in front of her face, Weiss allowed her Aura to flare briefly so that its energy may flow into Myrtenaster. The revolving cylinder spun in response to show off the multi-colored Dust cartridges and she nodded in approval at seeing that each chamber was filled with the refined power that would fuel whatever spell she chose to unleash.

Sticking it in its place at her side, Weiss reached back into her locker to get her jacket before she halted so that her fingertips were left to brush against the material. Acting on a sudden impulse, she nudged the jacket enough to bring the whole crest into view.

The mark of her family represented everything that she wished to obtain when the time finally came. Whereas her home could be seen as a focal point of their established sovereignty, the crest was meant to show how far their influence had spread with every vial and crate of Dust that was stamped with it such as the few containers she kept at the top shelf of her locker. It was that influence that was dispersed all throughout Remnant whether by land, sea, or air.

Her father had spoken true: one day, Weiss would inherit not only everything that he and his father had built but the responsibility that would come in making sure that their dynasty would further prosper. There was always room for expansion if you had the right opportunities and the strength to pursue them.

Weiss wanted to prove that she had it. Her jacket, her vials of Dust, her glyphs, all of them had this badge that was meant to transmit the pride and fortune that came with the name Schnee. Wherever Weiss would go, whatever she would accomplish, it would all be sent with a message that she was the rightful recipient of the title that awaited her. Here in Beacon, she would prove that she had the skill and fortitude to become a powerful ally or a fearsome enemy to any who held wavering opinions about her.

There was just one obstacle that was preventing her message from getting through to the public.

The hostility that a certain nose-picking girl encouraged returned and Weiss forcibly tugged the jacket free from the hanger. Once she got her arms through the sleeves and brought it tight around her shoulders, she gathered up the scattered pieces of her school uniform and all but flung them into the locker before shutting it. She'll worry about the proper storage of uniforms for another day.

The close proximity of the lockers to Port's classroom probably contributed to this live performance that Weiss was starting to suspect wasn't an irregular occurrence when it came to Beacon. Self-absorbed or not, Weiss had to admit that she found this teaching method to be rather invigorating. The prospect and obvious danger of combat with a monster added that extra dose of adrenaline and excitement that had been missing from her controlled sparring matches. As well as the fear.

It had been the same with the Beowolves. Surrounded by a pack of them, Weiss knew that the initial dread was due to her self-preservation instincts being triggered in response to the threat of serious harm. She overcame it then, replacing it with a slowly-building sense of exhilaration as she forced herself to stand defiantly against the beasts that unveiled themselves from the shadows in order to kill her.

She had felt something else too. Behind the raised hilt of Myrtenaster, it had shaped a sneer that had come over her features just as she made a thrust towards what she assumed was the alpha of the pack.

_We will be monitored and graded but instructors won't interfere, _Weiss remembered. The headmaster had said that for the duration of the initiation but she wondered if that mandate extended beyond that. If she found herself in trouble, would Professor Port remain in place?

It was a concern that didn't hold any sway over Weiss. She wouldn't need help. This underlying sense of fear beneath the anticipation was sorely misplaced.

When Weiss opened the door to the lecture hall, she managed to catch the clamor of excited conversation in response to the show that the students were waiting for until it stopped upon the arrival of the star. Keeping her chin held high and back perfectly straight, Weiss strutted in.

Port was standing in a similarly dignified manner with his arms held behind his back. The persistent snarling of the animal caged at his side did little to affect his stance or his tone when he politely asked, "Are you ready to begin, my dear?"

Forgoing a verbal response, Weiss let her drawing of Myrtenaster do the talking for her. Presenting the blade ahead of her, the fencer rolled her shoulders back while her right foot slid forward. The possibilities of what her opponent could be went through her mind.

_Not that big, _she theorized. _Cage is too small for anything like an Ursa or Beowolf. Maybe something I haven't-_

"Go Weiss!"

Her concentration slipped at the shout of encouragement from Yang. She refused to turn away from her prey but Weiss did glance to see that her chosen spot just happened to put her in front of the desk shared by her team. _Oh, great._

Even Blake was offering her support unnecessarily. "Fight well!"

"Yeah! Represent Team RWBY!"

Weiss found that she couldn't ignore that last one. She turned and snapped, "Ruby, I'm trying to focus!"

The smile that had been on the young girl's face dissolved at the loud reprimand. "Oh, um…" She lowered the arms that she had raised in excitement as she replied with a meek, "Sorry."

Weiss maintained her narrowed-eyed stare on Ruby for what she thought was an appropriate length of time to, hopefully, keep her quiet. She was not doing this to represent her team; she was only representing herself. The victory that she would seize here would come from her efforts alone.

Just as she recalled the Beowolves, she remembered how Ruby had blundered into the path of her strike. What should've been a straightforward fight turned into a hasty retreat when Weiss had set a portion of the forest on fire because of her partner's lack of communication. The heiress had later came to the conclusion that Ruby had ruined the demonstration that should've convinced the observers that she was the better candidate and Weiss was not going to let her ruin this second chance.

Redirecting her sights back to the cage, Weiss saw that Port had retrieved a weapon that looked as archaic as the ones her family had collected. By all the elements of Dust, that gunstock was made out of _wood_ and she questioned the practicality of the location of the axe blades that were attached to it.

"Alright!" came his baritone call. "Let match begin!"

Practicality aside, the blades were effective enough to cleave through the lock when Port swung this blunderaxe down. Without it the entire door of the cage fell away to reveal its occupant. Weiss barely had time to recognize the black and white of fur and bone-like protrusions that the Grimm were known for before her opponent was racing out of its prison.

She reacted to the charging creature by stepping to the side and slashing with her rapier. A _clang_ resounded within the classroom as Weiss's blade deflected off the armored flank, the impact sending a shock up her arm. The fencer used it to turn her sidestep into a roll to put more distance between them, ending in a crouch.

Her dark-spawned enemy swung its wide body around, its cloven hooves sliding across the smooth tiles of the floor as it came to a halt. Four red eyes locked onto Weiss while the pig-like creature snorted.

The large tusks that curved in front of its armored head matched the written diagram that Weiss had minutes ago copied as well as the two smaller pairs that jutted up and down at its snout. What the heiress hadn't seen but could now, however, were the rows of razor-sharp teeth that lined its mouth. Whereas a Beowolf and an Ursa's bony growths tend to look more like spikes to add to their armaments, the ones on this Grimm were smoother and resembled armor plating that protected its bulk.

_Boarbatusk._

"Ha-ha, wasn't expecting that were you?"

Weiss gave Port a quick peek over her shoulder. There came a sense of déjà vu as Weiss imagined herself back in her training room practicing her technique while her trainer watched her and piqued up with a compliment or advice. During that time though, Weiss had been practicing against a training droid within the safety of the Schnee estate to get accepted into Beacon.

For this, the stakes were much higher. Examining the Boarbatusk, the heiress tried to establish a plan based on what she had seen so far. She had to consider the armor plating as impervious to normal physical attacks but they didn't cover everything. An accurate thrust with Myrtenaster's slim blade could slip between them and stab into the fur and fat to slay it.

_Attacking head-on will be difficult, _she surmised. _The armor protects the sides but they become scarce as they get lower._

The Boarbatusk was fast but its hooves and the smooth floor of the room hampered its ability to stop and turn. Weiss could keep dodging and split open its flanks to cripple it further during another charge. It'll make it easier for her to select a proper location on its hide for a death blow. Maybe she should use a Dust spell?

"Hang in there Weiss!" called Ruby.

Weiss tightened her grip on her rapier's hilt. No, there was no need to drag this out. She'll go for the direct approach for a quick kill. The front had its weaknesses too: the four eyes and even the slit of black fur located between the protected face and snout. A successful stab at either of those spots would allow Myrtenaster to pierce the brain.

She can make it work. She didn't need to waste her Dust. She would have to get past the tusks in order to reach those vulnerable points but she was confident that she could do it. The Boarbatusk was fast but she was faster. The best and brightest that the Schnee family had to offer outclassed anything that the darkness spawned.

After all, it was just a beast: a rabid animal that needs to be put down as such.

The Boarbatusk's legs tensed in time with Weiss's. When the former commenced a second charge, the latter sprung from her crouch to meet it with a thrust. Tusks and blade were extended as hooves struck against tile while boots glided over it.

With her eyes looking down the length of her blade, Weiss witnessed the pointed tip rushing towards her intended target. The Grimm seemed almost eager to throw itself onto her weapon and die. That was until it turned its head and used its tusks to _parry_ Myrtenaster.

The heiress felt a moment of surprise that it accomplished such a feat but it paled in comparison to the pain of those same tusks slamming hard into her side. The cry that issued from her lips would've been shameful to her ears if not for her having to worry about another problem. Although she was lifted up into the air, instead of being flung back there came a sudden jerk of her sword arm that twisted her around and returned her to the floor.

The Boarbatusk had not only parried her weapon; it had managed to get the blade stuck in between those tusks! It was Weiss's tight grip on Myrtenaster that stopped her from being separated from it and another tug from the Grimm threatened to wrench her arm out from its socket. The fencer's other hand joined in to try and pull her weapon free.

She barely noticed Port saying something but the Boarbatusk's barbaric snarling and her own struggle made it incomprehensible. What she was becoming aware of though was how this duel had devolved into a humiliating game of tug-of-war that the Grimm was winning if the dragging of her boots was any indication. It was taking all it had for her to just hold on.

"Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!"

Somehow she heard Ruby just fine and, before she could think of the folly of doing so, Weiss looked over to glare at her. _Does she ever shut-?_

As if its primitive mind could identify the opening, a particularly violent jerk of the Boarbatusk's head yanked the rapier from the heiress's hands and sent it spinning to the other side of the classroom behind it. Unarmed, Weiss tried to retreat only for the Grimm to bring those curved pair of ivories back around to bash into her.

This time there was nothing to anchor her. When she was knocked off her feet, Weiss sailed up and back before landing hard onto her stomach.

This was turning into a disaster. Having been standing as a model of pride and dignity a minute ago, she was now struggling to her knees weaponless and breathing labored while the weight of the class's attention bore down on her. Her Aura had prevented her from suffering any major injuries from the repeated blows but being knocked around didn't do anyone any good. Her stamina, she also knew, had never been that great; a result of packing too much training in too many fighting arts – sword and Dust - while balancing out her education in two meager years.

"Oh-ho!" came Port's voice. "Now what will you do without your weapon?"

The answer to that was obvious: she had to get her weapon back. Raising her head to see where her Myrtenaster had fallen, the heiress was instead met with the sight of the Boarbatusk in another charge that would end with her being trampled beneath it. Eyes going wide, she instinctively leaped to the side and out of the way to land in a roll that brought her stumbling to her feet.

There came a crash and a squeal of the Boarbatusk hitting something sturdier than it. She'll congratulate herself on her theory of its turning capabilities later. Right now she desperately ran for Myrtenaster that lay on the floor.

She dropped and slid the last few feet, the slim hilt filling her palm. She used the comforting weight of her reclaimed rapier to try and tame her racing thoughts to form a plan on how to-

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted. "Go for its belly! There's no armor there!"

The adrenaline, the unexpected intensity of the fight, and her desperation to salvage this mess already had her on her last nerve. Hearing that infuriating voice that was responsible for all of this yet again had Weiss whirling around, the last remnant of her composure breaking as she hollered, "STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!"

Any shame that should've come with the infallible Weiss Schnee having lost her cool wasn't present. All that the heiress felt was satisfaction at witnessing the shock that rose to Ruby's face.

She can do this on her own. She did _not_ need help! With her so-called team leader having been silenced, Weiss directed a particularly frosty stare to her true enemy.

The Boarbatusk had recovered from its collision with one of the desks at this point and the red orbs that lacked a soul yet held plenty of violence met Weiss's frozen blues. With a roar, the Grimm jumped into the air where its body curled up on itself to form an armored ball that started spinning. As soon as it returned to the floor, it shot towards Weiss with speed that excelled its previous charges.

It did little to discourage the fencer's newfound resolve to see an end to this duel. She held up Myrtenaster, the fingers of her free hand brushing along the cylinder as she drew on the power of Nature's Wrath contained within the loaded cartridges. She extended the blade forward while pointing her other hand behind her.

The blue glyph materialized in front of Myrtenaster to create a wall in the Boarbatusk's path. As it had been proven with countless others of its kind, the Grimm couldn't contend with the might of Dust as it slammed uselessly against the barrier. Squealing in pain, it uncurled from its ball and dropped to its back, dazed.

Weiss backflipped up to the second glyph that she formed above her. Once her boots touched it, the glyph turned black and stuck the heiress's feet to it. She pulled Myrtenaster back in preparation for the death blow.

The Boarbatusk remained unmoving with its defenseless belly in plain sight.

Weiss hesitated for one beat too many. Then, with gritted teeth, she launched herself down and buried her weapon to the hilt within the creature's body.

The Boarbatusk squealed with legs kicking in response to the strike. However, the sound and movement were short-lived as the swift approach of death quieted its cry and sapped the strength from its limbs to leave them hanging lifelessly.

Weiss dropped to her knees and a hand next to the corpse. She still had a grip on Myrtenaster, using it and its spot within the Grimm's innards as a prop to keep her from fully meeting the floor. Her shoulders shook as she panted for breath.

She refused to maintain this state of weakness with the attention of the entire class still on her. With the help of her rapier, Weiss started to push herself to her feet. As if setting it up perfectly, the Boarbatusk started to dissolve and the heiress hoped for a bit of theatrics to enhance her image as she stood triumphantly while the Grimm was disintegrating into dark wisps of smoke that curled and twisted around her.

Port seemed willing to contribute with some genuine praise. "Bravo, bravo! It seems that we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!"

The spirited words managed to get Weiss to overcome her lingering fatigue. She let her body collect a final deep inhalation of oxygen before she regulated her breathing. With a quick flourish of her weapon, she straightened her posture and held her head high despite the complaints of her own body that requested her to ease it. She also kept her gaze straight ahead to further establish this cool image and to stop any wanderings of her eyes that may bring her team into view.

"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today," Port continued, now addressing the other students. "Be sure to cover the assigned readings and stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"

Weiss persisted in her refusal to bring her team into view. Purposely turning in such a way to keep them out of her sight, she walked out of the lecture hall, returning Myrtenaster to its place at her side as she did so. Even after she left she kept her spine and shoulders stiff. The continued complaining of her muscles was drowned out by her own mental criticism of what had just transpired.

_What was _wrong _with me?_ she asked herself, her measured walk turning into an angry stomp once she was sure that she was no longer in sight of her fellow students. _I shouldn't have tried to attack it head-on! That was an unnecessary risk and it nearly ruined everything!_

She had won but did not feel anywhere near as victorious as she should've been. How could she possibly be proud of that shameful display? She had gotten hit, had gotten her weapon stuck, had _lost_ her weapon, and had been driven to her knees. Was a Schnee heiress supposed to be scrambling around for her sword while being chased by overgrown swine?

She couldn't even find any kind of satisfaction when she had killed the Boarbatusk. She had slain it with a skillful use of her glyphs and a precise stab from her Myrtenaster but any thoughts of how that might potentially turn her audience's thinking that she was an exceptional student were dampened by a single outburst.

_Why couldn't she just keep quiet?_

Somehow all of her misfortune always led back to Ruby. In this instance, her partner's incessant babbling had robbed her of everything; from her composure to her win.

_They'll think I won because she told me its weakness, _Weiss thought bitterly. _I could've figured it out!_

She may not have deduced that its stomach lacked any plating but she had noticed how the armor became scarcer down there so it would've only been a matter of time. A few seconds at most. If Ruby had taken her previous hint to let her concentrate Weiss would've been able to do it by herself. Blake and Yang had remained silent so why didn't Ruby?

Weiss almost didn't go for it. When she had the Grimm dead to rights, the idea came to her to let it recover so that she could kill it another way. As tempting as it was, she recognized it as irrational to willingly give up on such an obvious opening. Besides, at that point it was best to end the fight there and avoid any additional embarrassment.

_That's twice now. _Twice _that she got in my way._

This was all Ruby's fault.

There came the sound of hurried footsteps of someone trying to catch up to her. Weiss didn't need to bother using an iota of her mental functions to guess who it could possibly be. Despite knowing the futility of the effort, the heiress turned a corner a tad sharp to try and get out of the individual's sight to convince them to give up.

"Weiss!"

It didn't work and Weiss had gritted her teeth with the expectation. For what was becoming all too frequent, she found herself turning around right on cue to spot Ruby just as she came around the same corner and skidded to a halt. The incredulous look that she directed at Weiss did little to lessen her irritation as she practically snapped, "What?"

"What's wrong with you?" her partner asked, truly seeming to be utterly clueless. "Why are you being-?"

What? _What_? "What's wrong with _me_?" Weiss interrupted, unable to fathom how her _team leader _was making it sound like this was her doing. "What's wrong with _you_? You're supposed to be a leader and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"

Ruby actually had the nerve to appear offended. Emitting a noise of disbelief that further rankled the heiress, the younger girl questioned, "What did I do?"

What hasn't she done? Nearly blowing them off the side of the cliff, preventing Weiss from teaming up with a suitable partner, making her set a portion of the forest on fire, putting them on a suicidal flight on the back of a Nevermore, and her complete disregard for her academics that was dragging the heiress down with her.

Instead of listing all of these faults, Weiss exclaimed, "That's just it!" She thrust a finger towards Ruby. "You've done _nothing _to earn your position! Back in the forest you acted like a child and you've only continued to do so!"

The cloaked girl had shrunk back at the finger that had been directed at her and seemed to become even smaller as Weiss ranted. Any previous hints of defiance were crushed as Ruby's tone became morose. "Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about working together? I thought you believed in acting as a team."

The subdued words succeeded in calming the heiress and Weiss felt the weariness brought on by the day's events lessen the tension in her limbs. Closing her eyes, she calmly replied, "Not a team led by you."

When she opened them it was to see her partner's chin having lowered until it was nearly touching her chest. Silver orbs that slid up from the floor displayed a clear sign of hurt. Weiss was actually surprised to experience an uncomfortable stirring.

She fought against it. She was the one who had been wronged, not Ruby. "I've studied." That edge came back though it held a fraction of its earlier intensity. "_And _trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better."

As justifiable as it was, she remained unsettled by how Ruby was staring at her. She turned away from her. "Ozpin made a mistake."

Ruby didn't say anything and Weiss felt an unexpected urge that had her eyes attempting to swivel around to bring the scythe-wielder into her view again. The fencer managed to restrain her head from twisting around with them and, after a moment, she forced herself to stare ahead. When she walked it was without Ruby following her this time.

And yet it did little to erase this uncertainty. Weiss turned another corner, effectively putting a wall between them, but that wasn't enough. Those silver eyes remained in her mind as well as the words that Ruby had spoken.

Yes, she did say that. She had said that if they were going to get through Beacon they were going to have to do it together. But that had been before Ruby stabbed her in the back.

_"I want you to know that I can do this."_

Weiss halted in mid-step, something about the timid words that came unbidden to her mind causing her to do so. The fire that crackled and burned beneath her icy exterior weakened in the face of that particular recollection.

The heiress found herself looking down at her boots, lost in thought. _Why is that bothering me? _

The markings at the edges of the sleeves to her jacket were at the corner of her vision. While they did not possess the full shape, seeing them curled around her wrists reminded her of the design that she couldn't see but swore she could feel the weight of the extra stitching.

There were more important things than just the two of them. Ruby had nothing to prove to anyone, especially not to her.

Weiss became aware of a different weight on her person, this one loading down a pocket located at the inside of her jacket. It accomplished adding further stress to her mind and body. _What am I supposed to say?_

The clicking of heels started again as Weiss resumed what was becoming a random journey within the halls as any sort of defined destination was absent. She just needed to move and deceive herself into thinking that it would help her when, in truth, she had no idea as to how to get herself out of this corner that she had been forced into.

There came a break off to her left; an opening that led to one of the balconies. With this view of the outside, Weiss was able to see that the sun was setting. The sky had changed to a dull orange coloring as it dipped towards the horizon and the heiress felt this sense of dread coil within her stomach. She was running out of time.

Someone else was staring at the sunset. Amongst the benches that were scattered around the balcony, there was the solitary individual who stood with a hand resting against the rail. While they had their back turned to her, it was impossible for Weiss to mistake that burgundy suit for anything else.

A rather daring plan came to Weiss's mind as she stood and struggled with her decision to go for it. The fact that the sun wasn't going to stop getting lower on her behalf insisted that she decide immediately.

She really didn't have a choice. Second chances were difficult to come by and a third was all but impossible. Resigning herself to it, Weiss strode onto the balcony. Whether it was because he had come out to contemplate his own thoughts or he legitimately didn't hear Weiss's approach, the older gentleman didn't move an inch until Weiss spoke up. "Professor Port!"

Her professor turned to face her, presenting those bushy brows and moustache that stood out so prominently. "Ah, Miss Schnee. And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"

A good question. With the suddenness of this plan, Weiss wasn't sure how to begin. It was a first for her to go into a conversation without a way to turn it in the direction she wanted to go and the heiress feared that this was going to end up exactly like her fight with the Boarbatusk. "I..." Her head lowered as a sign of her internal struggle until she managed to raise it back up, lips forming a smile. "I enjoyed your lecture."

It wasn't exactly a firm opening and she chastised herself for her hesitancy but the heiress figured that she could play on his self-absorbed tendencies. Not to say that she wasn't speaking with some sincerity; she was grateful for Port giving her the opportunity to prove herself in his class even if it was all for naught.

That, at least, seemed to be accurate with how Port replied matter-of-factly, "Of course you did child; you have the blood of a true Huntress in you!"

She wasn't expecting the genuine happiness she felt in response to the compliment though. Part of it, she knew, was because it let her believe that this could work but there was another part that made her legitimately flattered. She reasoned that this was probably Port being charitable yet she still asked, "Do you really think so?"

"Most surely!"

The assurance, again generous, served to convince Weiss that she had a chance. If Port honestly found her to be skilled then maybe she could convince him that she was skilled enough to be the true leader of Team RWBY. He was a professor at Beacon – a veteran at that – so surely he had some influence that may allow Weiss to usurp Ruby from her position.

It was an underhanded tactic and Weiss knew it. Attempting to argue that there was no difference between this and having her trainers recommend her to Beacon in the first place was a useless gesture. For here, she was trying to reverse a decision that would lead to the demotion of another.

She shouldn't care. It may be underhanded but it was a legitimate strategy. She had done it before even if it had been an accident.

_"You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss!" she claimed, throwing an arm around her shoulders and smiling brightly. "And after it's all over you're going to be like, 'Wow, that Ruby girl is really really cool!' And I want to be your friend."_

_ Why_ was she being so reluctant then?

"Hm, something's troubling you."

Weiss had become downcast, gazing off to the side as she struggled with this reluctance that shouldn't exist but did. She glanced up at Port, finding one of those brows having risen curiously. "Yes, sir."

"Dear girl, confess to me your strife!"

The rather overly dramatic tone of her professor did calm her somewhat and Weiss followed up on it with the argument that it wouldn't have come to this if Ruby had shown that she was capable. "Well…" The rest came out in an indecent rush. "I-I think I should've been the leader of Team RWBY!"

Port didn't respond, not right away, and Weiss was impressed with how still he became. There wasn't even an errant twitch from his brow or moustache that may tell Weiss as to what he was thinking. The fencer dared to believe that he was taking her words seriously and was perhaps agreeing with them.

He was silent and immobile for several seconds. Then without warning there came, "That's preposterous!"

Now it was Weiss's turn to stand there except none of her emotions were hidden. Her brows had flown up and her mouth opened enough to create a dumbstruck expression. Regaining control of herself, Weiss clicked her mouth shut and surprise turned into offence. "Excuse me!?"

A raging Boarbatusk had failed to intimidate her professor and it didn't seem like her shout was having any better luck with how his fists became planted at his sides. "I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years and the man has never once led me astray!"

"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?" That didn't make any sense!

"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude," he countered.

No one had ever spoken to her like that and Weiss found herself glaring up at him. "How dare you!"

"My point exactly." That usual jovial tone had vanished entirely, replaced with a tempered voice as he admonished, "I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted."

"That's not even remotely true!" Weiss hastily denied, raising her chin high while crossing her arms over her chest. Doing so had her folded limbs pressing the hilt of Myrtenaster against her.

It was that and how she could sense Port's doubtful scrutiny despite having shut her eyes that the heiress found her resolve crumbling. Frowning, Weiss tilted her head down, her eyes opening so she could look at her rapier. "Well…not entirely true…"

She _had _gotten what she wanted here. With her family's lien and resources, she had received the best training that money could buy and had a weapon forged for her chosen path – the latter at the cost of someone's job.

Even before this she can't say that she had been deprived. Yes, her father tended to limit her in certain regards but his daughter had always been provided with a luxurious lifestyle. As much of a prison her home became, there had been servants who would wait on her hand and foot, and when she did request things from her father he would provide them as much as he allowed in order to maintain his family's best interests.

_And it hadn't always been like this, _she reminisced. _Before the White Fang things had been different. He would rarely get angry, all the security hadn't been necessary…the graves were unfilled…_

"So the outcome did not fall in your favor," Port calmly spoke, returning her to the present. "Do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?"

She…supposed not. Thinking back to the lecture hall, she admitted that her shouting at Ruby in the middle of a fight may have been as unsightly as her own blunders with the Grimm. Letting her temper get the better of her here, with a professor no less, wasn't going to do her any favors. And she had approached Port with the intention of essentially overthrowing Ruby. What kind of loyalty can she be expected to achieve with not only that girl but her sister if she used such measures against them? It was a blatant oversight of the long-term consequences of her actions that only an amateur should make.

"So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be."

Weiss wasn't sure what it was. It may just be Port's strangely gentle lecture that did not carry the veiled demands that she should become greater. Instead of seeking a more prestigious position that is worthy of her, she should become worthy of the one that she had been given. It was a notion that she had never thought of before, had never really been allowed to consider, yet she couldn't find anything wrong with it.

That last part specifically sounded sweet to her ears: be the best _person_ that she can be. It incited that same liberating sensation that she experienced when she had beheld Beacon and the heiress felt the lifting of her shoulders at the sudden lightness that she felt.

It spread to her face and the corners of her lips turned up effortlessly as she regarded her professor. Guess she had to reevaluate her initial opinion of him; there was some wisdom in those fond recollections of his it seemed. "Thank you, professor. This has been rather...stimulating."

"Naturally!" he replied unabashedly with a proud jutting of his chest. "And I can assure you that the rest of your time in my class will be as such!"

She wasn't entirely sure about that; it all depended on how many of his stories he wished to recount to his students. Still, with a nod of her head, she replied, "I'll look forward to it."

"You will not be disappointed, my dear." Port gave a respectful bow of his head. "Unfortunately, while I do take delight in discussions with such attentive students, there are other duties I must attend to."

"I understand," Weiss assured, returning the gesture.

The man stepped past the smaller girl to head back into the building, leaving Weiss alone on the balcony. She ended up drifting to the same spot that Port occupied only a minute ago and the heiress gripped the railing to better stare down at the school's expansive courtyard that stretched out below her.

Her professor's words continued to echo within her and the view that was offered affirmed just how different things were here. These people and places that granted her knowledge but left her to her own devices as to what she would do with it gave her the opportunities that she had lacked. Here, she can achieve her own goals.

If only it was so easy to accept all this when she knew that this could still be taken away from her.

Weiss dipped a hand into her pocket. Considering how it felt so heavy to her, it was strange that the source of her distress was so thin. Once she pulled it out, the heiress held up her scroll in front of her.

It wasn't even active as the device was currently inert in its compact form. Yet the sight of it managed to beat down that lightness and laden the heiress down once more. _Now what am I going to do?_

She can strive to be the best person that she wanted to be here, but such a thing can prove to be worthless when it came to the views of those others in power no matter how far she separated herself from them.

* * *

The sun had finished its descent but despite the darkness that sought to replace light with shadow over Beacon and the lamp posts illuminating in order to combat it, Weiss still had no idea as to what she should do. She had spent what she assumed had been the past hour wandering around Beacon's courtyard with no destination in mind after leaving the balcony. However, she was making an effort to keep away from the dormitories.

The avoidance was partly because the heiress didn't wish to encounter any of her teammates. For obvious reasons, she didn't expect a conversation with Ruby at any point for the rest of the night to go over well and an altercation, she knew, was all that she was going to get with the fiery blonde known as Yang Xiao Long. Blake she still wasn't sure about but considering how the two siblings had somehow managed to brainwash her in the past twenty-four hours if this morning's antics were any indication, she predicted no reprieve either if she happened upon the bow-wearing girl.

Retiring to the dorms also meant defeat. If she crossed over the boundary she may as well start getting her bags ready for the morning ride out of Beacon.

She tried to convince herself that a day shouldn't matter but it was a useless endeavor. Whatever excuse came to mind – that she had been busy, that she lost track of time, anything like that – was promptly shot down due to them being just that: excuses. A Schnee never falls back on such a thing because they never allow their existence.

So what was she supposed to say then? Astonishing as to how that question was proving to be a greater challenge than her life-threatening duel and Weiss found that no matter how high the degree of her intelligence was, she couldn't think of a solution for this problem.

Even her perceived sanctuary that was Beacon seemed to have turned against her. She knew it was ludicrous to think that her continued meanderings would somehow stop the arrival of tomorrow but the approaching curfew robbed her of that fantasy anyway. There had hardly been any students traveling through the courtyard when she started and, at this point, it was deserted. If it wasn't time for curfew now, it had to be a few minutes off at most.

It was that and the theory that her teammates should've retired to bed at this point that convinced Weiss to make the grueling journey to the dormitory building. The door felt ridiculously sturdy but that was due to the small fragment of strength that the heiress found herself barely able to produce as she pushed it open. Her feet all but refused to be lifted from the floor and Weiss ended up shuffling her way through the entryway, her shoulder brushing against the frame because of the miniscule space.

Unwilling to believe that this could be the end, her hand lingered on the solid wood until her fingers sluggishly slid from it to let the door settle back into its position with hardly a sound but still managing to prove deafening to the snow-haired girl.

That was it then. All that was left for Weiss to do was go upstairs, go to bed, let the last few hours of the night tick past, and then wake up to face the music. A shame; she had honestly been looking forward to another day of Grimm Studies.

"Weiss?"

Lost in defeat, the voice had Weiss nearly jumping with how unexpected it was.

The speaker apparently saw it and hastily apologized, "I'm sorry!"

Weiss turned to spot the source and found it to come from the common room of the dormitory. While the several teams that occupied the multiple floors of the building had their own rooms, there was still a lounge area for those who wished to either take a break from their own quarters or chat with the members of said teams while they either did their own work or relaxed.

There were a selection of couches and armchairs for whoever may wish plant themselves with short tables to dump their schoolwork and supplies. A fireplace had been constructed off to the side but it was currently empty of flame and wood as it wasn't the time of year for extensive use. To brighten up the room, a lamp had been turned on although it was currently set to offer a dim glow which explained why Weiss didn't notice it before.

Nor did she, obviously, spot the individual who had taken an armchair for herself. When she did, Weiss made out the bronze circlet and then the red hair that draped over it. Thin chains hung a pair of teardrop-shaped emeralds from the decoration which matched the color of the girl's irises.

Weiss may not be a fan of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes but she didn't need to be to recognize the face of Pyrrha Nikos. She knew her better as the top student of Sanctum and four-year champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament anyway.

Weiss hadn't solely spent her time researching for her acceptance into Beacon. Ever the proper planner, she had thought ahead and screened for suitable candidates in preparation for her team. While she may not have known how teams were formed, she wanted to at least decide who she wanted to be on hers. Pyrrha was the top choice to complement Weiss's intelligence and Dust control with pure physical strength. Smartest girl with the strongest, both of them celebrities in their own right; it would be a perfect partnership.

It ended up being another perfect disaster. That being said, the redhead was one of the few people here at Beacon that Weiss genuinely respected with her proven accomplishments and the heiress gave her a nod and greeting that transmitted it. "Pyrrha."

The Spartan glanced down at something in her hands and Weiss recognized the telltale light of an active scroll. Despite the metal headpiece, she was still dressed in her school uniform. "You're here rather late; curfew started ten minutes ago."

She must have looked at the digital clock of her device. Weiss didn't give a response right away, instead deciding to step into the common room and take an entire couch for herself. Shifting Myrtenaster around so that she wouldn't put a hole in the furniture, the fencer actually stretched herself out along the full length of the couch, resting her head on one arm while her feet propped themselves up on the other.

It was a very sloppy and unseemly display but, similar to her struggle with the door, Weiss didn't find it in her to care right now. Staring up at the ceiling, she finally replied, "I wasn't keeping track of the time." Which - while an excuse - was true.

There was a pause that hinted to Pyrrha being rather put off by Weiss's attitude. "I see."

The heiress didn't even glance over but knew that the other girl was examining her. She didn't have any kind of conversation that she could initiate though as her placement had really occurred on impulse. The explanation was probably the same as her walk: a mistaken idea that if she didn't go to bed just yet, she could somehow extend the night for far longer than whatever deity that had shaped the world intended it to be.

An uncomfortable air hung between the two of them and while Weiss was willing to let it last, Pyrrha seemed reluctant to do the same. "How was your day?"

For an attempt at a relaxing discussion, the warrioress picked the wrong opening for it. To be fair, it may've been influenced by how the heiress was acting.

Whatever the reason, Weiss reacted to it as any would in her position: a scoff. "You were there this morning; it didn't start out good for either of us." A humiliating sight to be sure. For being such respectable individuals, the way they had run through the middle of Beacon's campus in such a rush was akin to uncultured miscreants.

To Weiss's shock, she heard a short giggle followed by, "I suppose I was. But you have to admit, it was a rather lively morning."

Lively? Really? That was what Pyrrha was going with? Weiss gave her a glance this time. "I guess the rest of your day went fine then."

She witnessed a small smile appear on the Spartan's face as she nodded. "It's a combat school similar to Sanctum but there are quite a number of differences here other than the location. Our initiation gives credence to that but the topics our classes cover are remarkably different. The professors are unique as well."

That Weiss agreed with at least. While not having Pyrrha's experience at a normal combat school, the topics concerning the Grimm and the Huntressing life were leagues away from her previous business and political studies concerning her family's company. And Professor Port hadn't been the only 'unique' professor that the heiress had experienced today.

"I haven't met him yet but Professor Oobleck is supposed to be teaching my history class tomorrow," Weiss pointed out. Although she hadn't formally been introduced, a blur that had shot past her during her transition between classes had her questioning, and a second-year student later identifying, it as one Bartholomew Oobleck. While there were quite a variety of last names, Weiss had found her tongue twisting unpleasantly when she uttered that one.

"What a coincidence!" Pyrrha exclaimed, trying to add a bit more life into their conversation. "I have him tomorrow as well. I guess this means we'll be in the same class together?"

The fencer hadn't been giving it too much thought but hearing Pyrrha's excitement for tomorrow drove it home that Weiss probably wasn't going to be here the next day. Exhaling audibly through her nose, Weiss replied, "Yeah…I guess…"

The lackluster response caused Pyrrha to frown, the Spartan staring at her questionably. "Is there something troubling you, Weiss?"

Took her that long to figure it out did it? Weiss turned her head so that she was staring back up at the ceiling, lids sealing shut soon after. The idea of establishing a renewed silence was tempting but, in the end, Weiss found herself uttering, "Everything's troubling me." She released another sigh. "At the moment though, it's my father."

"Your father?"

If it was anyone else – specifically anyone in Team RWBY - Weiss wouldn't have unveiled this to them. But, again, her respect for Pyrrha and her lack of care when it came to anything right now was persuading her to speak. "He's expecting a message from me."

The light of the redhead's scroll was snuffed out as it shrunk in her hands before she placed it on the low table that rested in front of her. She looked to Weiss attentively. "I'm guessing the reason he's still expecting one now and you being here is that you don't know what to say."

An accurate guess even if it wouldn't take much deducing. Nonetheless, it encouraged Weiss to go on. "What am I supposed to say? When I left I told him that he could expect me to take the position of team leader with only the finest serving under me. What is he going to think when I tell him what actually happened?"

All that work, all that training, for nothing. Just because she had fulfilled her promise to get to Beacon on her own, it never meant that she would be allowed to stay without worry. It was hardly that easy. For a Schnee, exceeding one challenge just meant that another needed to be placed on you to constantly motivate you to be better and not be allowed to become complacent.

Weiss may have gotten to Beacon, but she needed to show that staying there would benefit her and her family. If she had to look at it in a business sense – something she knew her father was doing -, her participation and success at Beacon could be considered as advertisement. The mark on her jacket was as much of a badge of Schnee pride that she carried as it was a burden of endorsement that was no different to when it was stamped on cargo crates. Her Dust spells were powered by crystals that were quality-proven by the SDC and her weapon was constructed by their finest engineers.

As much as Weiss was able to triumph with her own talent, she was also displaying how she was doing it with her _father's_ resources. So how would it look when it turned out that there was someone out there who can be considered as better than her?

_For me, _Weiss thought, _being the best person only works when it is beneficial._

"I understand how you feel."

The heiress became very still, not believing that she had heard that right. She opened her eyes. "What?"

"I said," came Pyrrha's voice, "I understand how you feel."

A fuse was lit, a very short one. Whereas a moment ago Weiss was all too willing to languish around listlessly, the words that Pyrrha spoke served to ignite a sudden bitterness within her. Very slowly, the fencer turned her head back towards Pyrrha. Her next words came close to coming out as a growl. "You understand how I feel, do you?"

The short nod that Pyrrha gave her while expression became unreadable further insulted the heiress. _No one_ understood her. How can anyone possibly understand her? She had always been kept away from the world, locked away in some castle. The only time people ever really saw her was when she was performing and any thoughts of Weiss Schnee as an individual was overshadowed by her father's reputation. Port may've had an idea about an aspect of her life but anyone who claimed to understand her was just lying through their teeth.

"So you understand what it means to have everything you worked for mean absolutely nothing." Weiss brought herself up to a sitting position, her legs swinging around so that they hung over it. "To have all your accomplishments and all your talents become obscured because of some nobody that had managed to luck their way into Beacon. To know that the position that should've been rightfully yours being handed over to someone who is completely unworthy of the title. You're saying that you can understand how I feel about something like _that_?"

It seemed that famous Schnee intimidation was losing its touch or Weiss needed to start practicing again because Pyrrha met her glare unflinchingly. Instead of making an argument out of it, the redhead flatly questioned, "Are you forgetting about my team leader?"

Whatever retort Weiss thought to make was brought to a standstill at that, the heiress having opened her mouth, paused, and then closed it.

Right, Jaune Arc. Preoccupied as she was with Ruby and her own predicament, the heiress had forgotten about that buffoon. Between him and Ruby, Weiss refused to believe that both of them had managed to get into Beacon legitimately. Somehow though, that boy was picked over an undefeated champion to become team leader. Weiss's resentment may be warranted, but even she had to admit that Pyrrha had a better reason to be angry here.

It puzzled her that the other Huntress-in-training didn't seem to be. From what few glimpses she had seen with the two of them together, Weiss could recall Pyrrha actually encouraging Jaune even before they had become part of a team. Hell, she had even bonded with him.

She didn't get it. She wasn't going to pretend that she knew Pyrrha's own family matters, but she would think that her own fame came with some kind of parental pressure. Wasn't she concerned about what others may think about her own arrangement?

Struck by a sudden suspicion, Weiss looked down at Pyrrha's forgotten scroll. "Have you messaged your family?"

"As a matter of fact, I just did," Pyrrha confirmed. "I expect to hear a reply from them in the morning."

She didn't sound the least bit concerned about what that reply may be. Was that the result of confidence in what she told them or did she not care about what they think? "What did you tell them?"

Pyrrha shrugged at that. "The truth."

Weiss blinked. "…The truth? You mean that you got passed over for some bungler who couldn't even land on his own feet?" She _had _noticed that it was Pyrrha's spear that had pinned him to that tree.

Those bright emeralds hardened at the slight against her leader. "The truth," she started, "is that I was placed on a team that Ozpin himself had selected through his own means and my leader is the latest son of the great Arc family."

Weiss blinked again at that. "Wait…what? Jaune?" The great Arc family? How did she miss something like that? No, she couldn't be blamed; if Jaune was the latest apple, he had fallen far from that particular tree. Nothing about him spoke of greatness.

Pyrrha grinned at her perplexity and laid back in her chair. "The Arc line is known for producing great heroes. There are quite a few stories concerning his sword – Crocea Mors – and the foes that had fallen to it during the war. I was proud to report that yesterday it had contributed to my team's slaying of a Death Stalker."

That…that… Weiss tried to find some other name to call this account that Pyrrha had just given her and found that she couldn't. It _was_ the truth. She was leaving out a lot of the details but what she was saying wasn't false no matter how much the heiress doubted this latest revelation concerning Jaune. And, she had to admit, it did sound impressive to her ears.

There was still one thing bothering her though. "And you're fine with that?"

"The truth?"

"No, following Jaune."

Pyrrha could put whatever spin she wanted when it came to the truth but it didn't change the fact that Jaune Arc was still her team leader. Her family may not have seen the deplorable performance but she has. How did it not bother her that she's supposed to follow his lead?

It still didn't. Even when asked that directly to her face, Pyrrha responded with another smile as she regarded Weiss. "There's more to this than being team leader, Weiss. And even if you aren't the leader, it doesn't mean that your efforts are going to be neglected. A team requires the support of all of its members. A leader can issue orders, but it's the teammates that carry them out and see them done. I will support Jaune as will Ren and Nora and it's through our combined aid that will make him a better leader and, in extension, make our team better."

Pyrrha was saying the same thing that Professor Port had said: don't be the best leader, but the best person. This time, however, it hit Weiss that her professor had meant exactly what the redhead had just enlightened her to. By the best person, Weiss had taken it as being the greatest member of her team. Ruby may be leader, but the heiress could still show that Team RWBY was only successful because of her expertise.

All her life Weiss had only been able to count on herself. Every single one of her actions today carried the belief that she could achieve her goals by herself. She was part of a team but it was what she did that mattered; Yang, Blake, and Ruby were all irrelevant. Finally she was starting to understand the folly of that thinking.

"I…get it," she spoke. She leaned against the cushioning of the couch. She got it but… "But how do I make my father see it? How can I tell him the truth when it's that I failed to make team leader and it's a fifteen-year-old child who became it instead?" She rested her head back, hand coming up to splay her fingers across her face.

"I don't know. I just know that I can't think of anyone else who got pushed up two years ahead by Ozpin."

The words took their time to sink in. When they did, Weiss shifted head and fingers so that one eye can land on a smirking Pyrrha.

The Spartan must've seen the comprehension because a second later she was standing up from her chair, scooping up her scroll in the process. "I should get going. Don't stay up too late; we both have classes tomorrow after all." She gave Weiss a curious tilt. "See you in Oobleck's class?"

Weiss dropped her hand from her face which now sought her jacket pocket. "Yes, see you then."

* * *

When Weiss did eventually arrive at Team RWBY's dorm, two things hit her instantly upon walking through the door. First was the bitter aroma of brewed coffee. It took a turn of her head to locate the cause: a coffee maker that was placed on a desk. It was still plugged in to keep the pot and the dark liquid it held warm.

_Such a waste of electricity, _Weiss chastised, flipping the switch to turn it off.

The scent had alerted her to it but it was due to the second thing that she had noticed upon walking in that allowed her to see it: that being a point of radiance that was dampened by the curtains that hung around the bunk directly over her own.

Despite the sign of light, there was none in terms of life. There were no shadows dancing upon the thin material of the improvised drapes or any sounds of subtle shuffling of an active occupant. The bed was just as hushed as the pair that occupied the other side of the room – or it would be if not for the distasteful sound of snoring that came from Yang's.

The oddity played on Weiss's inquisitive nature. _What has she been doing?_

The fencer moved to their side of the room and stood up on the edge of her bed to better reach up towards Ruby's. This close she soon heard that there was at least some sign of activity being made by the younger girl; that being her own snoring. It was softer than Yang's, nowhere near as disturbing, but Weiss rolled her eyes anyway. _Honestly…_

All thoughts of irritation were swept aside as easily as the curtains when she saw just what Ruby had been doing.

The familiarity of the scene struck Weiss hard. Ruby was sprawled out on her bunk, arms splayed out around her as she slept. Her face happened to be directed in Weiss's direction, allowing the heiress to see that those silver eyes that would herald a soon-to-be headache were sealed with sleep. The gentle snoring came from the parted lips beneath them, the red-tinted locks of hair that fell over her features waving in time with her breathing.

Weiss could make a comment of how poor her posture was and a prediction of how sore her partner was going to be in the morning but her attention was focused on what surrounded her. Even in the midst of her slumber, a pencil remained held between the fingers of a hand that rested next to a couple sheets of paper, a corner of which was pressed against the mattress due to the weight of Ruby's head. The pillow it should be laying on was instead the home of a few books that were haphazardly piled on top of each other with one left open at a designated page.

Lifting herself a bit more, Weiss also saw her leader's scroll located on the other side. The screen presented multiple windows of online sources meant to help Ruby with her assignments. Weiss examined the scribbled letters on the papers. _Nature's Wrath and its relationship to Aura…_

Taking in the scene with wide eyes, a memory came unbidden to her mind. A memory that wasn't that recent but not that far either. A memory that placed Weiss in an identical position except it involved a table within the Schnee manor's library. While the morning drills concerning her rapier had fatigued her, she had stubbornly reasoned that she could relax her muscles while her brain took in the latest batch of her studies. The heiress was unable to recall how it happened but at one point the pages that she was skimming through became an impromptu pillow when she awoke from an unexpected nap with her cheek flat against them.

Weiss chewed on her lip, debating about something which ended with her reaching out and nudging Ruby's arm. The contact interrupted the steady rhythm of the younger girl's snoring, turning it into a snort while eyelids fluttered open. The silver irises looked blearily up at Weiss yet didn't immediately recognize her pale visage.

When they did, the pupils shrunk in the wake of the shock that originated from them and coursed throughout the rest of Ruby's body, jolting it into action. Arms went flying as Ruby hurriedly turned on her side, the pencil that she had loosely gripped tumbling from her digits and over the side of her bed.

"Weiss!" Ruby cried out, quickly rubbing the sleep from her eyes while she stammered. "I-I was studying and then I fell asleep, I'm sorry-!"

The same hand that wakened Ruby now came over her mouth to stop her from saying anything more. Weiss used the other to hold a finger to her lips to signal Ruby to keep quiet while nervously glancing over her shoulder to see if the noise managed to rouse the rest of their team. Fortunately, other than a slight movement from Blake, both of them remained in their dreams.

When Weiss directed her attention back to Ruby, she happened to catch the tipped over coffee mug that she had missed. Considering that there were no stains on the sheets, she assumed that it was empty. Taking advantage of this opening, she asked, "How do you take your coffee?"

She removed her palm from Ruby's lips to let her speak, not that anything really coherent came from her. Caught off guard by the question, Ruby's mouth flapped uncertainly. "I…I don't…"

"Answer the question!" While impatient, Weiss kept her voice low although that did little to stop Ruby from looking like she got zapped anyway.

"Uh, cream and five sugars!"

Weiss rolled her eyes at that. All day she wanted nothing more than for Ruby to be quiet yet ask the girl a question and she can't even form an answer. "Don't move."

She eased down to the floor and didn't hear anything from Ruby. Taking it as her confirmation, the heiress went back to the desk that held the coffee pot. Next to it was a small bowl of sugar and short pitcher of cream. It was then that Weiss was aware of her oversight for not bringing Ruby's empty mug with her. Shaking it off, Weiss grabbed one of the other three mugs that were left instead.

_Cream and five sugars, _she repeated as she poured the still warm coffee into the container. _That _does _explain a lot. _She added a measure of cream before using a small spoon to start dumping the prescribed amount of sugar. While stirring everything together and giving the original black coffee a brown coloring, Weiss became absentminded.

She hadn't known what to expect when she woke up Ruby but it certainly hadn't been the apology that her drowsy partner had spouted. She was more inclined to think that Ruby would've given some kind of suggestion of displeasure instead considering the last time Weiss had spoken with her. But no; all that Ruby had been worried about was assuring her that she had been studying.

_What a dunce. _She shook her head but neither the action nor the thought carried any hostility. Setting the spoon aside, she made her way back to Ruby's bunk, pausing to bend down and pick up the pencil that had fallen to the floor.

When she boosted herself back up, she found that Ruby had stuck to her directions as she remained propped up on her side the same way as she had left her. This included the look of incredulity on her face that grew upon Weiss presented her with the full mug of coffee. "Here."

"Um…" Ruby took possession of the mug uncertainly. "…Thanks, Weiss." Unsure of what to say, she hesitantly sipped her drink, the caffeine and sugar affecting her instantly by providing a bit more life to her expression that chased away any lingering grogginess.

Weiss knew what she had come to say but the thanks and the strange fluttering within her chest that was so different from the previous unpleasant stirring made her temporarily mute. Setting the pencil next to her leader, the fencer examined the gathered reading materials as if to draw confidence from them.

The coffee had been a good initial step with making up with her partner but even though she'd like to leave it at that, Weiss had to go further in the interests of her team. The setting was perfect; Ruby awake and studious while Yang and Blake were asleep. It would allow Weiss to wipe away any unpleasantries that this day had caused in time for the morning where things can go on normally.

With that in mind, Weiss brought Ruby back into her sight. "Ruby…I think you have what it takes to be a good leader."

It was a good thing that Ruby hadn't decided to take another sip when she said it as she looked rather startled at hearing the words; a reaction that could've led to her choking on her coffee. At first she was only able to blink disbelievingly at the snow-haired girl until a small, hopeful smile starting to spread on her face. "Really?"

The positive reaction had Weiss mimicking the facial gesture. She nodded in confirmation. "Just know, that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have."

Ruby's lips stretched further, showing the whites of her teeth. "I…thanks, Weiss. I'll try hard to become the best team leader you'll ever have."

They could probably go all night but Weiss wanted to avoid such a thing. This was meant to be quick, lasting as long as it needed to mend the bridges between them. The sincerity in Ruby's voice and the pleased expression told Weiss that this had been enough. "Good luck studying."

She started to drop down to the floor only to stop partway. Well, maybe there was room for one last thing. She came back up and pointed towards the paper that Ruby had been resting her head on. "That's wrong by the way."

She lacked any manner of scolding, her tone light, and Ruby took the helpful advice for what it was as she set her coffee aside to double-check her work. Leaving her to it, Weiss set herself down and circled around their bunks in order to reach their shared bathroom. With all that had gone on today, she desperately needed it; she swore that she could still smell the stink of the Boarbatusk on her.

However, when Weiss opened the door, she couldn't help but look back over her shoulder, her gaze landing on her bunk. It rose to take in Ruby's. _One day that thing's going to kill me._

But another memory, this one of another time that was long gone, crept up on her. "Hey, Ruby?"

The curtains on this side of Ruby's bed parted so that she could look down at her. "Uh huh?"

Weiss hesitated, for some reason unwilling to meet the curious eyes of her partner. She stared at her own bunk again. Why mention this? There was no reason for Ruby to know about something so trivial. Arguing that this could just be used as a friendly way to build a bit more trust between them, she quietly spoke, "…I always wanted bunk beds as a kid."

If Ruby had been thinking of replying, Weiss didn't feel it necessary to wait for her to do so. She stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The heiress found herself pressing her back against it, taking in a deep breath as soon as her privacy was obtained.

_Step two accomplished, _she thought with relief, resting her head against the wood. _Step three? Shower and sleep._

What she was to do afterwards will be decided in the morning. Wanting nothing to do right now other than give herself to the relaxing rain of hot water, Weiss slipped off her jacket. Compared to how forceful she had been when dressing in the locker room, the movements she used to undress were lethargic as she carelessly tossed the jacket on top of the sink.

She removed Myrtenaster next and set it against the bathroom wall. It was when she began removing the sash from around her waist that every muscle in her body froze.

The jacket that she just discarded shook, a beeping issuing from within the pocket.

So soon? Weiss had assumed that she wouldn't hear anything tonight what with the late hour. It appeared that a couple of her steps had just switched around.

_He must have got home late again, _Weiss suspected, her insides freezing with the dread that formed within the pit of her stomach. _Or is still at the office._

Or something else had happened that was keeping him up. That possibility attempted to drive out the breath from Weiss's lungs.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the heiress approached the article that was responsible for the fear that caused her hands to shake. It was that shaking that Weiss blamed for her difficulties in retrieving the scroll when she dipped it into the pocket, fumbling until she pinched the thin shape. She drew it out.

_[1 New Message]_

The notification that came to the forefront tried to burn itself into her retinas and Weiss closed her eyes in response, taking a steadying breath as she did so. With a similarly trembling finger, the heiress tapped it against the screen.

For the next minute, Weiss held the scroll in a solid grip. Other than her eyeballs that swiveled around as they read the words that were presented to her, she didn't move an inch. Only at the end did the heiress move. Releasing the scroll so that it fell into the sink, Weiss traded it for the edges of the cabinet as she leaned heavily against it, unable to believe it.

It had worked.

Once Pyrrha had left her alone in the common room, Weiss had pulled out her scroll and got to work in typing out her message. For how much stress she had went through, the words came unusually easy to her as her fingers danced across the touch screen.

As the Spartan had suggested, Weiss had told the absolute truth. In her message to her father, she had claimed to have been picked by Ozpin himself to form a team with a prodigy who he had advanced two years ahead of her class; a feat that even Mistral's Regional Champion couldn't claim to have done. While Weiss knew little about her other teammates, they had managed to kill one of the most terrifying specimens that the Grimm had to offer for their initiation so she was confident that she had been placed with exceptional individuals for her team.

The whole time Weiss was waiting for some kind of self-berating thought that she was telling a lie, that she was stretching the truth farther than it needed to go, anything that would lead her to believe that she was drifting too close to deceit.

She was very amazed that, when she proofread her message, that she felt nothing of the kind. Quite the opposite: Weiss _believed_ her own words.

This whole time whenever Ruby's two year advance came to her, she had explained it away as luck or some joke that had been played on her to mock her own hard work. It was when she was writing about her partner and the later review that it dawned on her that the reason that Ruby was allowed to attend Beacon so soon might in fact be because she deserved it.

It led her to seeing what happened in the Emerald Forest in a new light. They had killed the Nevermore together. As unorthodox as Ruby's plan was, it led to success and in such a display that Weiss realized justified that amazing strength and combat skill that she had once believed to be restricted to empty boasting.

_"Think you can make the shot?"_

The expression on Ruby's face when she said that was not that of a child. Eyes narrowed at her target in concentration, a hint of a grin on her face, and poised to deliver the death blow that she would achieve with Weiss's help, _that _was the matured look of a warrior.

When she had sent her message, Weiss convinced herself to make up with her leader. While Weiss Schnee may not be the best team leader, she can be the best teammate to help establish what would be a lavish reputation that would be attached to Team RWBY during their time at Beacon. Yesterday Weiss had considered Pyrrha as the perfect candidate for strength, but now she was reconsidering that Ruby was a suitable runner-up. What had just happened in the dorm supported that.

Reading her father's response, Weiss found that he was pleased to hear that she had been placed on such a team and expected to hear more about them in the future.

The future…

With her chin tilted down, the ever-present crest on her jacket filled her vision. She lifted her head so that she could instead stare at the mirror that presented her with her reflection. A hand came up and she placed it over the left side of her face.

Staring back at her was Weiss. With that flawless skin and pale, noble features, it was that little girl who appeared so delicate that she needed to be sealed away from those who would wish her harm. Trapped within the sanctum, the only thing that she would hear was the news of another board member that had been killed, another family friend that had been kidnapped and executed. And each and every time when her father came home, bringing with him the rage and hate caused by those who had done it, little Weiss could only curl up, helpless and afraid and unable to do anything.

The hand slid to the other side.

Now it was Weiss Schnee that she was seeing with a mark that sullied that purity yet suggested to what she was truly capable of. She was still young in her own right, untested, but possessed the capacity to show just how far people had underestimated her.

_Tell me something, _she requested from her reflection. _Can a heart turn to stone?_

She had a plan for the future alright, and today she had managed to keep it intact.

And until the time came to enact it, no one needed to know about it. Not her father and not Ruby.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Wooo, glad that's over. Again, a mix of life and my own struggles when it came to this chapter that left very little for me to really get creative kind of made it difficult. Between that and how I ended up getting so delayed I did kind of rush, specifically with the ending which I'm definitely not too proud of. _Badge _I had predicted to be the more troublesome episode and I'm sure it shows._

_But that should all hopefully change. With Jaunedice, Forever Fall, and my own chapters, the added room for creativity should help me out for the next four chapters that should turn out a lot better than this._

**Brain: **Eh come on, it wasn't that bad. I mean this is a hundred times better than all the crap you used to write. Speaking of your dislike of OCs, need I remind you of _A Warrior Named Zealot_?

_*mimics getting gut punched* Ugh, that title says everything that a newbie can do wrong that I did._

**Brain: **Pffft, as if you got better. _The Lone Cardcaptor _ring any bells?

…_Okay you need to shut up now._

**Brain: **What about when you thought crossovering/implementing DBZ with everything was cool?

_You shut your filthy mouth right now!_

**Brain: **You can delete your shame but I shall always rememb-BLARGHSGNADOUGDANGO!

_*currently strangling self* BLARGHSAGNOGDAOJ!_


	4. Velveteen

**Author's Note: **_Oh my gaaawwwwwdddd, we're finally done!_

**Brain: **What are you complaining about? It happened exactly as you said: once we got through _Badge_, we're able to get creative! Sure, I did end up flexing the good old membrane around quite a bit for this one but it was in a good way!

_That didn't mean you were required to make it so long! I think this managed to beat Ruby's chapter in _Recurring Dreams _by…quite a bit!_

**Brain: **Speaking of which…

_NO! We are NOT doing a _Devil May Cry-_inspired Mega Ruby AU! That is the last time I let you have any Mountain Dew in combination with the _Devil May Cry _anime while we work!_

**Brain: **It's not my fault that that series is one of the rare few that has a decent English dub!

_We are too far deep in this to get distracted! Stick to your ideas for _Forever Fall_ and STAY THERE!_

* * *

While her first morning at Beacon was rather fun, it couldn't be forgotten that they were in a combat school and moving on into the first week gave credence to it. Once the introductions and orientations for their selected classes had been done, the commanding professors showed little restraint when it came to issuing out homework and assigned readings for their students.

Lacking any prior experience to give her a reference to how things were done in a combat school (or any kind of school really), Blake was only able to assume that this initial rough patch was normal. Each subject that was taught may be similar in that they were meant to mold a trainee into a powerful Huntsman or Huntress, but the topics themselves differed greatly. Grimm Studies, for example, was meant to teach about the types of Grimm that were found in the wild zones of Remnant outside of mankind's safe havens that were the four kingdoms. Meanwhile, there was a class devoted to the application of Aura, another for Dust, and a third on Remnant's history. Whatever wisdom they wished to impart with their chosen field, a teacher may wish to do so through lectures or live demonstrations. And this wasn't even getting into the actual combat and survival courses that involved physical dueling with the occasional incursion into the surrounding Grimm-populated territories that acted as their field trips.

It was a lot to get used to. In order to become accustomed to the scheduling, the teaching methods, and what to expect to bring back to your dorm room with you whether it be an essay or otherwise, there was very little room for the merry activities such as decorating and constructing improvised bedding arrangements. The weeks flew by as the members of Team RWBY sought to properly settle into their training regime.

This was not to say that Blake no longer felt any enjoyment within Beacon with the onset of school life. Yes, the nights did tend to consist of her and the other girls hitting the books to start their assignments while struggling against the gathered fatigue of the day that made the calls of comfy mattresses and warm blankets nearly irresistible with the mornings spent finishing those assignments because they gave in, but Blake savored it.

To be exact, she savored the peace. Whether sitting at one of their desks or her bunk doing homework or catching up on reading, Blake devoted a bit of attention to the background noise of her teammates doing their work; the scratching of pencils broken up with complaints about it (mostly Yang and Ruby), while comments and criticism (the latter Weiss usually directing at Ruby) were passed around. This and the morning routine of showering, dressing, and shoving papers and tomes into bags were all part of this rhythm that they had established.

This contentment extended beyond the presence of her team. Walking through the courtyard with books held against her chest, there was this calming sense of simplicity that came when all that she was concerned with was getting to class on time to avoid a verbal lesson on timeliness. Fall was fast approaching but the waning summer offered enough of its warmth to keep the climate pleasant.

The people were pleasant too. It wasn't just the members of JNPR, RWBY, and her teachers that she would pass and return nods and short smiles to. Everyone here shared the same goal - the same dream - and that in itself established a measure of regard that influenced these simple gestures. They were total strangers but it didn't stop them from holding a door open for you when they saw your hands were full which initiated a ritual of thanks and you're welcomes. These small things that were exchanged served to be so fulfilling to the faunus even if they were so normal.

As for the classes themselves, the setting was similar to the dorms where Blake and her fellow classmates took down notes or performed a skillful presentation that cut into the droning of their professors. Most she shared with her teammates but there was an occasional one where she found herself without them. It was a rare occurrence but the placid atmosphere remained. It could even be argued that the lack of their company and side chatter that they tend to involve Blake in contributed to it. This did not mean that she didn't miss it.

It only lasted for the hour that the lessons normally ran up to and then she was meeting them in the hall to make her way to the next with them. Lunch was the only time where the entirety of RWBY and JNPR got together and the table they tended to occupy would be abuzz with conversations of what they had done, what they have left, what classes they did and didn't like, etc. Blake usually devoted herself to a novel but, quite frequently, she would be drawn in whether by her friends' efforts to get her to join in or even because she felt compelled to socialize.

It was all so natural and maybe that was why Blake had become lost to it so easily. And maybe that was why she was experiencing numerous nights of untroubled sleep; something that she hadn't been blessed with for a long time. She was no longer plagued by nightmares, no longer afflicted with this ball of uncertainty and doubt that kept her restless whenever she thought of what tomorrow would bring.

When she did retire to bed, it was with her team. Lying on her bunk with the covers drawn up to her chin, her hidden ears and enhanced vision supplied her with the sights and sounds that took over her nights. Directly above her she could hear the snores of Yang Xiao Long, the blonde akin to a stone with how deeply she slept. Other than the sound, there was barely anything in terms of movement which spared the faunus of any apprehension of seeing if the supports of paper and hard covers that she donated to their bunks were really as sturdy as she had spoken of with - as she was reconsidering - a tad of overconfidence.

The same couldn't be said over at Fort Rose. While the curtains kept Ruby hidden from view, Blake was able to see how her bed would occasionally swing due to the smallest of turns that she tended to perform even when lost in slumber as if to make up for whatever volume that her own gentle snores lacked in comparison to her older sister's.

Weiss wasn't granted with night vision but didn't need it in order to see what was going on right above her. Blake had witnessed how the heiress would be resting on her side with eyes closed and hands resting atop each other, fooling the ninja in believing that she had drifted off. It was usually a minute or two later that she would be proven wrong when, in response to a shift of Ruby's bed no matter how subtle it appeared to be, Weiss's eyes would snap open before directing a wary look at the bottom of Ruby's mattress and the ropes that were wrapped beneath it.

Waking up alive for several mornings in a row got Weiss used to it. Her steady breathing was nearly inaudible but present in this melody that lulled Blake to sleep, empty of fear but filled with the prospect of what this new life would give her when she next opened her eyes.

Ironically, it was everyone adjusting to their schedules and becoming relaxed that caused Blake to start fretting. Those conversations that they had in the cafeteria had gradually transitioned from the going-ons of school life to that of personal life. The change had Blake withdrawing from them as she used her novel to deflect whatever inquiries that may be sent her way. Gratefully, it worked more often than not.

Unfortunately, Yang wasn't required to restrict her inquisitive nature to the cafeteria.

"Where did you live before coming to Beacon, Blake?" Yang asked during a walk to their next class.

It was going to happen sometime and, being partners, it was inevitable that Yang would want to know more about her. Blake had actually expected the questions to come sooner rather than later but it did give her the extra time to think of potential responses for the predictable ones.

"Atlas," the faunus replied. It also helped that she could use the truth if she didn't go into the details. She _had_ been stationed at Atlas before her last assignment had her coming to Vale.

Yang released a drawn-out whistle, impressed. "Wow, that far huh?"

As it was known, Beacon was willing to accept individuals who hailed from locations found outside of Vale and Vytal. To study at such an esteemed place of learning and become a figure of legend that fought mankind's greatest enemy, there were many who were willing to cross land and sea in order to accomplish that. There was nothing suspicious about Blake's answer and it was fortunate that it would work in her favor as Yang wouldn't have any intricate knowledge of such a faraway place that may let her catch whatever her partner may be holding back.

But she would still ask about it. "I've never been to Atlas. What's the combat school there like? Is it anything like Signal?"

Blake can still stick to the truth yet questions such as these can make doing so increasingly uncomfortable. "I never went to one. Someone taught me how to fight."

"So you were recommended?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I took a placement test."

There were additional ways to get into Beacon other than attending a preparatory school like Sanctum or Signal to develop a suitable transcript to grant attendance. Others could train under privately contracted Huntsmen who were willing to offer their services and recommendations for the right price. Since Blake never went to such a facility and the people she learned under were rather disreputable concerning public view, she had to take a placement test.

It was more of a courtesy than anything else in the off chance that talent could be discovered from unexpected sources. There were those who arrogantly saw it as a method to skip what they saw as a lengthy process but they tended to wash out pretty quickly. Yet others such as Blake who had their own weapon, Aura unlocked, Semblance refined, and displayed proficiency for combat were allowed to take a placement test to see if they qualified. Obviously, she had passed with an exceptional score that let her attend an exceptional school.

She hadn't been too worried about possible background checks because Blake Belladonna severely lacked one. The White Fang never kept extensive documentation on their members - at least not when she was still with them - and Blake didn't commit any crimes. Well, none that she could be linked to anyway.

She was still surprised with how effortlessly she had been accepted without trouble after she passed the test as the information she provided hardly received a scrutiny, including her claim about being human. Then again, when it came to Beacon's acceptance of faunus and another special case that Blake knew about - that being her team leader -, unusual circumstances appeared to be the norm. She figured that if you could prove that you can handle what'll be thrown at you then you were in.

Yang was willing to accept it as she shot Blake a grin. "Oooh, fancy." Instead of digging deeper she explained, "Ruby had trouble when she started at Signal. She tried all sorts of styles and weapons but could never find one that really clicked, y'know?"

Happy for the change of topic, Blake tried to keep it on their team leader. "And one day your baby sister came home with a scythe almost twice her size that's also a high-impact sniper rifle."

Yang chuckled pleasantly. "It was a bit of a shocker when the year came for students to forge their own weapons that's for sure. Even before that though she began going on and on about Uncle Qrow. He's an instructor at Signal and he decided to give her some private tutoring. His weapon is a scythe too so, naturally, she learned how to use one."

"Quite skillfully," Blake commented.

"Well duh; she had me to look up to after all."

"I wouldn't mistake being taller as being viewed with admiration."

"Ouch." Yang held a hand over her heart in mock hurt. "Kitty has claws."

The grin that had been forming in the wake of her rebuttal froze as did the rest of Blake after inhaling sharply. Yang moved several paces ahead until she realized that her partner was no longer following her and she turned around to see what was wrong. "Blake?"

"...What did you say?"

"Hm?" Yang squeezed past a pair of students in order to rejoin Blake and looked confused at being asked that. "I just meant I wasn't expecting that from you. That was quite the impressive comeback."

Blake blinked rapidly in understanding and nodded her head a tad forcefully. "Right. Uh, sorry; didn't hear you over everyone."

They weren't the only ones in the hallway as there were fellow trainees that were off to their own destinations, chatting as they went. It wasn't that crowded and there wasn't that much noise but Yang didn't have any reason to not believe her.

"Although..."

The faunus was suddenly leaning back, eyes widening slightly in response to Yang leaning forward, her own pair of lilacs examining her. A hand came up to her chin, stroking it thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Blake asked, somehow succeeding in keeping her voice steady.

"...You have gold eyes," Yang noted. "Kind of like a cat's."

If Blake wasn't stricken with this sudden panic, she might've made some sort of mental remark as to how Yang chose to link something that wasn't as prominent as her bow. She averted her gaze in an effort to get them out of Yang's sight while options of how to respond ran through her mind. Obviously the truth wasn't a viable tactic here which meant deflection. "I'm not the only one with a unique eye color; you have two after all."

"Ha, that is true! And even then at least neither of ours are pink!" Smiling good-naturedly, the brawler spun around to resume their journey which Blake used to release a breath of relief. It didn't last long before her partner's increasingly troublesome nosiness had her asking, "So who did teach you all that stuff? Please tell me that you had to spend days on a mountain top and refer to them as 'sensei'."

Then there were the questions that Blake wished to avoid entirely. Falling back on evasion, Blake made a sudden turn at an intersection while speaking a quick, "I have to go this way." She quickened her pace to try and put what distance she could from Yang to deter any thoughts of her following.

Thankfully, her partner didn't try to pursue her but did shout to her retreating back, "See ya at lunch!"

_Smooth, Belladonna,_ Blake chided. _Real smooth._

It was hard enough to think that she could pull this off for four years without slips such as that. It had been a simple comment yet the faunus had reacted to it with behavior that should've screamed suspicious. When she had made her decision to break away with the White Fang, no one had known until she had done it - not even someone who had been bonded to her.

That could actually explain part of it. Deep within an organization and Adam always at her side, there was absolutely no room for error. To give away anything would result in a fate that she could only presume but knew would be unpleasant. She didn't think her brothers and sisters had fallen so far as to kill one of their own but death wasn't solely needed to make one disappear. There had been unexplainable absences involving those who had renounced their loyalty and Blake didn't want to find out where they had ended up. The constant threats had kept her on edge.

During the passing weeks here, she had felt anything but threatened. _She's too trusting. They all are._

None of them were skeptical of her and, really, had no reason to be at the moment. In the White Fang she had established herself as a loyal member who had given up her childhood to the cause and anything out of character would alert her comrades that something was amiss. Meanwhile, her life at Beacon hadn't reached a month. It let her be flexible as her teammates only had her words and the belief that she was a Huntress-in-training just like them to go by.

That flexibility, she realized, was luring her into a false sense of security that had her lowering her guard enough that Yang, ever the skillful brawler, had managed to slip through with a jab. It would later prove to be the first of multiple reminders of the perils that were ready to befall her as the next one took advantage of her distracting musings to shove her roughly with a muscular forearm.

"Watch where you're going, little lady," came a snide comment.

Blake instinctively rolled her shoulder back despite the unexpected contact to avoid getting pushed against the wall, her feet circling around each other to spin instead of stumble out of the way of the giant who lumbered by. The faunus sent a glare as soon as she straightened which he didn't see, having already turned away from her but not before she saw the slight peak at the front of his burnt-orange hair that he kept combed back.

She recognized him immediately as there were few people who were that tall or that rude. Being in the same year made it easier but it was an arrangement that Blake detested as she was unwilling to have anything to do with him.

Had things been different, it may not have just been their year that they shared. Had Blake landed elsewhere, if she had accidentally bumped into him or one of his cronies, or if she and Yang had picked up a bishop piece instead of a knight...the faunus still shuddered at how she managed to avoid her worst-case scenario in the face of those possibilities.

Team CRDL was the embodiment of everything that Blake had come to despise concerning certain specimens of mankind. To see its despicable members freely prowling around the campus after using these weeks to set up their hunting grounds to prey on their classmates served to remind her of what will happen if she didn't remain on guard. Last time she had been cornered, it had led her to making the worst mistake of her life.

* * *

"So there we were..." Nora began, voice ominous while sweeping her narrow-eyed gaze across her audience, "...in the middle of the night."

"It was day," Ren interjected, all monotone with a blank stare.

"We were surrounded by Ursi."

"They were Beowolves."

As if seeking to make up for her partner's lack of enthusiasm, Nora used the fists she planted at the table to spring to her feet while dramatically shouting, "Dozens of them!" The action succeeded in making Yang - sitting across from her - jerk back from the motion before nodding her head frantically to show she was listening intently.

It had an effect on Ren who added an extra decibel loaded with exasperation to his tone as he corrected, "_Two_ of them."

Nora's excitement wasn't dampened in the slightest. "But they were no match! And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Done with her story, Nora dropped back down to her seat looking quite proud with herself with arms folded and a smile on her face.

Her partner hung his head in response as he sighed. After a short shake he explained, "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."

This was an example of the general conversations that tended to occur when RWBY and JNPR got together for their lunch period; normal, silly things that amused while informing others a little about the speaker and anyone else involved. Ruby tended to initiate dialogue when it came to learning about their respective weapons while Weiss chose to enlighten the teams to her family's products - both current and future releases to give them, as she mentioned, a 'heads-up'. Pyrrha got a lot of questions concerning her own feats of strength which she answered with modesty.

Blake was choosing to close herself off with another novel. After finishing her tuna sandwich, the faunus had taken the book that was atop a few textbooks that she had brought with her. While her novel was meant to keep her face hidden from view, the others were meant to reinforce this image of her being busy to dissuade her friends from bringing her into their conversations. She wasn't deaf to them though; with four ears it was impossible to not listen in.

Like her, Ren preferred to eat and drink in peace so Nora was the one who dragged him into the latest discussions such as this one. However, despite how it may appear, this instance wasn't strictly about some dream that Nora had been having. This had started because of an inquiry from Yang about a topic that Blake did well to keep any signs of unease of showing in its presence.

The blonde focused on Ren, ignoring her salad. "So you've been able to see it too?"

Ren took a sip from his mug, letting a second pass. "Yes."

Blake practically felt the glance Yang sent her way to seek confirmation and she kept her focus on the pages to appear like the devoted bookworm who lacked any interest in their business.

"It's a good thing he can!" Nora interjected, giving her partner a shove that nearly ended with him spilling his drink. "I've seen his dreams; so not cool."

"I find them very relaxing."

Nora flapped her lips at him. "You don't have any!"

"Which is why they're relaxing."

"How long does it take for you to even be able to do that?" Yang asked, interrupting their argument.

Blake knew the answer to be years. It wasn't just short thoughts that could be transmitted to a bonded pair of Hunters after such an extended length of time. Dreams were actually easier when it came to being shared as, during sleep, all other cognitive functions shut down which would lessen the chance of conscious thought getting in the way. The years of development and attunement of bonds led to some acts becoming subconscious in nature such as viewing another's dreams as your own.

She and Adam had those years. Unfortunately, when Blake would look upon his dreams, they became the nightmares that induced a number of sleepless nights. It was seeing that side of him that she had refused to believe was real until that moment and the fear that he may see her own doubts in her own dreams that further pushed her into breaking away when she did.

Ignoring how Nora was now jabbing the tips of her index fingers into the side of his head - "Dream stimulation!" she explained -, Ren calmly spoke, "Quite a while. If I remember correctly, it became consistent last year."

"That's a shame." Yang directed her attention to the other half of their table, sporting a playful grin. "I can only wonder what Pyrrha will see when it comes to Jauney-boy's dreams."

It didn't appear as if it was his red-haired partner that was troubling him. Jaune was looking to Pyrrha but it wasn't her name that he spoke. "Who? Cardin Winchester?" He waved off the worried expression that his subordinate directed at him. "Nah, he just likes to mess around! Ya know, practical jokes!"

Hearing that name had Blake lowering her book. Reading had proved to be elusive with the subject of bonds but this latest one concerning the leader of CRDL that bred this hostility made it impossible. Aware that his team had the same lunch period as them, Blake sought him out.

It didn't take a lot of effort to locate him in the midst of one of his 'practical jokes'; the irritating laugh was an unmistakable calling card. When she did spot Cardin, it was to see him sitting on a bench seat in reverse to rest his back against the table. His laugh and attention was on the girl who was doing her best to scoot away from him.

That lowered head of hers and the brown rabbit ears jolted up when it became clear that escape wasn't going to be that easy. At her other side was Russel Thrush who planted a boot on the seat to keep her from retreating any farther.

Predictably, Sky Lark and Dove Bronzewing were there as well to surround the rabbit faunus. The former had his hands above his head with fingers splayed out in an unflattering imitation of those lengthy ears as he danced in place. The latter sported a cruel smile similar to the rest of his teammates.

For a team named after a passerine bird, the scene being acted out here was reminiscent to birds of prey surrounding and toying with their latest morsel. It was seeing something so cowardly as this that made Blake wonder how those four passed the initiation. An explanation she was willing to get behind was that they had managed to avoid the Grimm during their trek to the Forest Temple. There had been signs of people having made it there before she and Yang and, in their case, she found that theory to be the most plausible.

"He's a bully," came Ruby with an accurate description and a deep frown.

"Oh please." Jaune lifted a finger. "Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

"He knocked your books out of your hands this morning!"

"He bumped into me," Jaune tried to explain. "I'm sure it was an accident."

"He got your shield stuck in the door two days before," Pyrrha pointed out.

"It can be finicky sometimes."

Even Ren felt compelled to speak with disapproval, appearing more stern than stoic. "He stuffed you in a locker and launched it to a random location."

Activity at their table halted with all eyes in the vicinity locking onto Jaune to broadcast pity to him.

"...I didn't land that far from the school," he defended hesitantly as if to block their stares with a statement that was nowhere near as durable as his shield. That uneasy smile did nothing to reinforce it.

Blake guessed it was that uncertainty that made Jaune such a tempting target for Cardin. She hadn't been there for his attempts at being suave as reported by her teammates so all the faunus had to go by was what she witnessed back at Ozpin's office and the weeks that had followed. In a way he was a lot like Ruby in terms of his excitement and aspirations concerning the future but somewhere along the way they had become worn.

He wasn't as young as her but there was something about his boyish face that possessed a youthfulness that seemed out of place when compared to the rest of his team; even Nora. Whereas Ruby had started taking her responsibilities seriously, for Jaune it appeared as if he wasn't sure about what he should do. This bullying situation that had apparently started since their first week was doing little to allow him to regain the confidence that he had lost.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help you can just ask," Pyrrha spoke, her gentle tone clashing harshly with the unbeatable warrior image that tended to follow her. She had noticed the change too and Blake didn't need her sensitive pair of ears to detect the verbal sign of frustration born from being unable to do anything to help him.

"Oh!" Pouncing on this opportunity, Nora leapt to her feet. There was a wide smile on her face but there was something very...malicious about it. "We'll break his legs!"

Like her smile, there was a measure of what Blake could only describe as wickedness that was mixed with that cheerful delivery. She may have been imagining it but when Ren tugged on Nora's vest to return her to her seat, his hand lingered as if to make sure she would remain where she was.

"Guys, really, it's fine." Jaune picked up his tray and stood up, clearly wanting an end to this impromptu counseling session despite insisting on maintaining an image of feeble indifference. "Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone."

As if orchestrated, there came a pained cry almost as soon as he finished. "Ow that hurts!"

The source came from the rabbit faunus. Going by the tray in her hands, she was trying her own escape but Cardin had stopped her by grabbing one of her faunus ears. Blake whirled around just in time to see him tug on the appendage, drawing the girl closer while he laughed.

"Please stop," she whimpered.

Beneath Blake's bow, a cat ear twitched.

_The cruel pull on her ear forced a painful tilt of her head. The cry of agony she wished to make in response and the plea to tell them to stop was choked off by her scarf-like collar that was pressed tight against her throat due to the grip her other attacker had on it to keep her from running. She struggled even if it was in vain, her efforts accomplishing nothing other than to have the cloth constrict further to cut off her breath._

_A trickle of blood dropped down her face from the cut that the well-placed stone had opened at her forehead. It mixed with her tears as she cried due to this suffering that she couldn't understand the origin of and the helplessness at being unable to do anything about it._

_Even amidst this torment her hearing picked up the disgusted comment that was directed at her. "What a freak!"_

"What a freak!"

Blake felt a tightness at her throat but it wasn't an external obstruction that was the cause as it was internal in response to Russel's insult and the sight she was bearing witness to. She was about to rise. Whatever she would do afterwards, whatever may happen once she crossed over, she had no idea but the burning anger promised that something will occur that will lead to a satisfying conclusion.

Fortunately for Cardin, he chose that moment to let go. The bunny girl immediately stepped back and fled. The laughter of her tormenters followed after her and the faunus bowed her head. She tried to hide her face but Blake caught the twinkling of tears between her fingers when she went by.

"Atrocious." Pyrrha had been tracking the faunus and as soon as she was in the clear a look of disgust came across her face, her lips forming a scowl that was more befitting of an armored Spartan. "I can't stand people like him."

Blake maintained her observation of her fellow faunus who dumped her tray at the nearby trash can. Her long brown hair trailing behind her, the girl rushed out through the exit and Blake was able to see her turn left before the door closed to cut her off from view. By then she was able to speak and nearly growled out, "He's not the only one."

Yang rested her cheek in her palm, using her arm as a prop. She was staring thoughtfully at the door that the faunus had went through. "It must be hard being a faunus."

_You have no idea. _Blake gave the blonde a glance and then took in everyone else at the table. Jaune had left to clean his own plate and Pyrrha had gone back to being distressed about his situation with Ruby sympathetic to her plight. Ren sipped at his coffee, expression unreadable while Nora became occupied with whatever tune was going through her head and having it bounce from side-to-side.

As for Weiss...

The heiress had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal to file her nails. At some point she had laid the tool down and, to Blake's surprise, saw that her attention was currently at the double-doors where the rabbit faunus had disappeared.

But there was no sympathy. When she eventually went back to filing her nails, Blake caught the remnant of something that was the complete opposite: the turned-up nose of disdain. Not for a second did Blake believe that it was meant for Cardin.

_...Nothing's different._

They can say what they want but they refuse to do anything. When it is one of their own, they offer and do what they can if they're in trouble. But when it is one of _them_, they sit back and watch but don't interfere no matter how much they dispute the morality of what they see. For those such as the Schnee heiress, their arrogant sense of superiority is justified by seeing the willful abuse of a lesser race.

Blake was exempt because nobody knew the truth. She was enjoying her school life with the lie that she was human whereas faunus such as that girl she now saw remained as outcasts. Beacon may accept the faunus, but the rules that an unfair society had established were the same.

_Where is her team?_ Blake wondered. Why was Cardin able to have her surrounded and helpless to his whims? Had the rabbit faunus been abandoned by them? Left to fend for herself? Alone?

Blake wasn't going to remain negligent. She may be pretending to be one of them but she wasn't going to become them. She gathered up her books. At some point Yang had left with Blake noticing her absence when she stood up to leave. She gave her friends a quick goodbye and then made her way to the exit.

She could guess where her fellow faunus had chosen as her destination. She had gone left which would lead her to the restrooms. There was the chance that the girl could've decided to seek out the sanctuary of her dorm or gone to her next class but she doubted it when a nearby bathroom stall would do just fine in supplying her with privacy to let out those tears.

There was the question of what Blake would do if she found her. Talk to her obviously but what could she possibly say? That humans weren't all bad? That there were some good people out there?

She may as well be lying. It wasn't a human that was seeking to comfort her but a faunus who was disguised as one to avoid exactly what happened in the cafeteria. Any attempts at befriending her would also carry a measure of deceit unless Blake was willing to reveal her secret.

_And what would that do?_ she asked herself. _All it would prove is that faunus can only rely on other faunus and that any friendly interactions with humans are accomplished with lies._

Blake's hold on her books slackened with the slumping of her shoulders. It hadn't just been the White Fang and Adam that she abandoned. Time and time again she had ran into these situations with the reasoning that one of them wouldn't lead to a dead end that would have her crashing and sprawled out on the floor. Seventeen years and there was no change.

For seventeen years she had clutched onto that dream of equality. As long as she could remember, she had willingly carried it around throughout her childhood, keeping it protected against the insults and the stones with the use of her body and mind in the hopes that when she let go it was to see it spread to human and faunus alike.

She wasn't sure when it happened. It may've occurred on the train when she left, perhaps days before when she had decided to leave, maybe the weeks and months she found herself thinking about it, or had it been when she had first given in to violence years ago? All she knew was that when she did look down she saw that that dream had turned to dust and slipped through her fingers without her noticing.

That was when she gave up trying to change things. Her goal to be a Huntress was formed with the idea of repentance and a selfish decision to stick to getting by in the world and let it sort out its own issues without her. She was still willing to try to ease the suffering of the victims, maybe give them advice based on her own personal knowledge, but she couldn't give them a dream that she had lost. They would have to find their own way to get by instead.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The voice wasn't directed at her but Blake froze as if she had been caught in the process of a crime. Without thinking she pressed herself up against the side of the hall, clamping her mouth shut and holding her breath.

"I, uh, well, you see...," came an awkward response.

Blake recognized the voices but her sudden, unexplainable need for stealth kept her from stepping around and revealing herself to them. She drew away about an inch, enough to prevent any sound that would come from her coat tails brushing against the wall but not enough to break away from cover. Her steps became light to avoid the clicking of her heels as she moved to peek around the corner.

"There's a line between being confident and being a pervert," Yang spoke again. "And you're pushing it."

"It's not what you think!" Jaune had his hands high above his head which shook vehemently to deny the accusation.

"So you weren't about to go in the girls' bathroom?" Yang had a quirked brow and arms folded but the humored grin and how she casually leaned on one foot didn't exude a threatening aura.

Blond and blonde were positioned in front of the restrooms with them drawn towards the door meant for the female persuasion. Jaune was stuck in the middle of that and Yang with a twitch in either direction having him drawing too close to either for his liking which would get him to jerk to the other, repeating the process. The brawler gave him a bit of room although it was clear that she had been enjoying the show.

"I wasn't going to go in," Jaune replied, lowering his arms but not all the way to prove that he wasn't intending to do anything illicit despite Yang's teasing. "I was going to open the door a little and try to persuade her to come out, that's all!"

"Uh huh." Yang let the boy squirm a bit more under her gaze before it eventually slid to the restroom. The grin died and her forehead creased with concern. "Is she in there?"

The question served to invoke a similar reaction from the leader of JNPR. He stepped away from the door. "I think she is. I heard someone crying but it stopped as soon as I got here."

Yang nodded. "She probably heard you coming." She didn't explain how or utter a mean-spirited remark about it. Instead, the blonde unfolded her arms and moved towards the door. "I'll see if she's there. Wait here for a moment."

"Okay."

Blake watched her partner disappear into the restroom, leaving Jaune to act as a lookout. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and it was probably a lack of something to do rather than detecting the faunus that had him scanning the vicinity. Blake dipped back so as not to be seen.

What were they doing? She mentally counted to five before daring to resume looking.

Visually confirming that no one around seemed to put Jaune at ease to try and satisfy his curiosity by pressing his ear against the door, being cautious so as not to have it swinging inwards. With him preoccupied, Blake considered it safe enough to lean further out, her faunus ears straining against their cloth covering. Their sensitivity made up for the distance that separated her from the room enough for her to know that there was something going on but any sound was basically incomprehensible.

That changed a minute later. Without warning there came a loud bang followed by a terrified shriek that had Jaune leaping away from the door. The conflict that played across his face was similar to the internal battle that Blake was experiencing when next came the sound of muffled weeping.

The only reason that Blake didn't charge in right then and there was another sound that was nearly drowned out by the sobs: a gentle, soothing noise that became easier to make out when the sobs lowered in volume. The seconds passed and while both started to quiet down, they grew louder at the same time with the plausible explanation for that being that the speakers were...

The restroom was opened and out stepped Yang. Her chin was lowered as if to better bring her mouth to speak directly into the furry ears that drooped in such a way that they partially hid the face of the person who she had an arm slung around.

Blake didn't need to see it to recognize the rabbit faunus. She was tiny in comparison to Yang and how she was attempting to shrink in upon herself succeeded in making it appear as if she was about to melt into the blonde's side. In stark contrast to her own formidable appearance when in her combat clothes, Yang was handling the girl as if afraid that she was going to fall apart at any moment. The arm she had around her was gentle but firm.

The sobs heard earlier had reduced to sniffles but the tears continued falling from the wells that were her brown eyes. With head turned away from Yang in equal parts of embarrassment and shame, the girl wiped at them to try and dry them. Upon sighting Jaune, those same eyes widened and the faunus struggled against Yang's grip to get away from what seemed like her being surrounded.

"Hey, hey," came Yang's soft voice. The arm tightened around the girl but just enough to keep her in place. "It's okay; he's a friend. We're here to help you." She gave Jaune a motion of her head, directing him to the scared faunus.

The boy had stood there, speechless, and the encouragement got him to act. He held out a hand to the girl awkwardly but spoke compassionately. "Hello. My name's Jaune Arc."

Awkward or not, the girl flinched at the proffered hand as if expecting it to lash out at her, the shudder coursing through those rabbit ears a hint to how she was thinking it would do so. Finding herself unable to escape from Yang's grasp, she buried her head as if seeking to disappear within the folds of the blonde's jacket. She trembled in time with her shaky breaths.

Jaune's hand stayed out but it was clear that he wasn't sure how to proceed. He tried to locate help from Yang who gave him a reassuring nod and he translated it as to remain exactly where he was.

Eventually the girl removed her face from the leather to land a red-rimmed eye on Jaune. She refused to take his hand but after a moment she meekly spoke, "Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina."

There was a delay meant for Jaune to decipher what was said and, recognizing it as a name, he smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Velvet." He drew his hand back and something dawned on him. "Oh, uh, actually...we have the same class don't we? Professor Oobleck's?"

The other chocolate brown came out from the depths of Yang's clothing to better focus on Jaune. A measure of thoughtfulness broke through the suspicion that was playing across the glassy surfaces and the girl - Velvet - nodded hesitantly. "Yes, we do."

"Well that's good," Yang cut in smoothly, pleased with the exchange. "Jaune, I was offering to take Velvet here to her course with Professor Peach. I don't have any other classes that are near hers so maybe you two could meet up to go to your history class together?"

Jaune was put off by the proposal and the shadow of doubt that had repeatedly eclipsed his too-youthful features since his appointment to leadership crossed over them again. However, upon looking to Velvet and seeing the hanging bunny ears and her nervousness, the doubt was chased away by the arrival of newfound resolve. "Sure. I can do that."

"Always knew you were dependable." Yang shifted back to Velvet and gave the faunus a comforting squeeze. "And you can depend on my boy Jaune to keep you company. You'll be in good hands, I promise."

In spite of lingering misgivings, Velvet had been gradually drifting away from Yang's one-armed embrace with her ears matching it by rising a bit higher. She wasn't staring directly at Jaune but the reason seemed to be out of embarrassment instead of fear. Nevertheless, her next words were definitely for him as much as they were for Yang. "Thank you."

"Hey, it's no sweat." The thanks seemed to stoke Jaune's confidence enough that his chest puffed out a bit as he proudly proclaimed, "Whenever there's a lovely lady in need, Jaune Arc's ready to serve their every need!"

Those lengthy appendages sprung all the way up and now Velvet was giving Jaune a wide-eyed stare of astonishment. A second later, a giggle slipped through her lips and a pinkish hue painted her cheeks.

Yang rolled her eyes but a smirk was present. "Alright, slow it down there lover-boy." She gently guided Velvet to follow her. "Come on Velvet; lunch is about over and my class isn't _that _close to yours."

The faunus didn't offer any kind of resistance, willingly following the blonde. She did pause and then she was turning around to give Jaune a timid wave which was gladly returned.

Blake had stood where she was the whole time, completely enraptured by what she had just witnessed. Even when Yang and Velvet vanished from sight, the onyx-haired girl stared at where she last saw them.

With his back turned in her direction, Jaune was doing the same. He suddenly stiffened. "Oh man, I need to change!"

He spun around and while Blake was able to drop out of sight, his speedy footsteps had him nearly running into her before she could vacate the area entirely. She was at least quick enough to avoid a collision by giving Jaune that extra yard that was needed for him to register the unexpected presence and stop albeit nearly falling over with the abruptness and his arms pinwheeled comically in order to prevent it.

"Blake!" he registered as soon as he straightened. His head whipped around to where he came from and then back to her. "What are you doing here?"

If Blake hadn't been privy to what had gone on, Jaune's actions would've been suspicious with how he shuffled over to block Blake off from going further with poorly-disguised glances still being sent behind him. Yang and Velvet should be leaving the building entirely at this point but he seemed intent to impede her progress.

Blake wasn't sure how she should feel about that. On the one hand, Jaune may be doing this partially because he wasn't sure how she would react if she saw Velvet. Ironic considering what she was. On the other hand, Jaune definitely had to be doing this to prevent any further awkwardness if another person came upon the shy and tearful rabbit faunus.

The rationale served to stun Blake, delaying the response she finally managed to utter. "I was going to the restrooms." She craned her head, the motion for show and to manipulate Jaune into making another shift to obstruct her. "Is there something wrong?"

The quick bark of laughter was painfully strained as the boy failed to pass off her question as a ridiculous thing. "W-what? No, nothing's wrong! Nothing at all!" He nearly stumbled over his own feet to get around her. "Go on ahead and do your…do your thing, yeah!"

"Jaune."

He hardly got far before Blake's call had him pause and rotating to find that she had done the same. He grinned anxiously. "Yes?"

"I saw what you and Yang did for Velvet."

"Oh…you did?"

Blake nodded, expression unreadable which contributed to getting Jaune fidgeting and his grin faltering. Deciding to spare him she spoke, "That was very nice of you. I'm sure it meant a lot to her to have you two help her like you did."

Hearing that had Jaune visibly relaxing now that her opinion was out in the open. "I hope it did. I mean…" He hesitated, seeming to struggle before ultimately admitting, "I know how much of a jerk Cardin can be so I understood how she felt."

"Is that all?"

He was taken aback by that, blinking dubiously. "Is that…all?"

Seeking out to help someone was a noble goal but, given her experiences, Blake had learned to be attentive to the means rather than the ends. If Jaune's readiness to comfort Velvet was influenced by seeing a comrade against a common enemy, then the act lost the virtue that people can be mistakenly drawn to. It was a clever trap that Blake had fallen into and one that she could perceive here as well.

"Velvet's a Huntress-in-training," she continued and she knew how her words were sounding like criticism. "I'm sure she's here because she has her own exceptional skills that can be refined to make her a powerful individual. She has her own team that'll assist her if she needs it."

_Her own _kind. Blake didn't say it outright but it was on her mind as she spoke out these points.

It was those points that had Jaune withdrawing on himself, those baby blue eyes becoming downcast and flicking from side-to-side as if able to visually review the words that had been spoken to him. Blake admittedly felt bad about voicing them but knew that they were legitimate. Jaune may not see the situation the way she did but, really, that in itself was a problem: that of gullibility. It led to misunderstandings that could lead you astray and put you on a path with a heavy fog obscuring the destination. You can start on it with confidence, thinking that all you had to do was keep going straight and you would be fine, but when the fog cleared you found yourself knee-deep in something that you didn't want but couldn't turn back from now with how it clung to you.

It was best that people left each other be; leave them to their own groups with their own problems. Let them fix it for themselves rather than be swayed by outsiders.

"But they weren't there." Jaune met Blake's gaze and it was the faunus's turn to be taken off guard when that resolve that she witnessed a moment ago returned to give him a discernable maturity on those boyish features. "They weren't there to help her and I couldn't just stand by and leave her alone to cry. At the very least, I wanted her to know that not everyone is like Cardin; that there are good people in the world."

Somewhere deep inside, something stirred. Something once thought dead, buried, and rotted. Residual life granted it the ability to catch the words and it shook against its entombment.

It lasted a second and then it stilled but not before Blake recognized something hauntingly familiar about it. It left her momentarily mute, any plans for a reasonable rebuttal absent. All that she could say to Jaune was, "You didn't know her. Why would you care about someone who's a stranger to you?"

JNPR's leader shrugged, a sheepish smile more befitting to him appearing. "Why shouldn't I? Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet after all."

* * *

Jaune's leaving began a process that had the RWBY-JNPR table losing its members by the minute. A hand on her back had Ruby looking to see her sister on her feet. A raised brow of silent question was responded to with a wink and a thumbs-up which Ruby recognized as Yang being up to something. A ruffling of her red-black hair later and Yang was gone, leaving Ruby to smooth out her tresses and sticking out her tongue at her sibling.

Blake followed soon after, offering a quick goodbye and nothing else. Ruby watched her go as well but seeing another piece of evidence of her teammate's growing reclusiveness had the young leader sending a troubled look at their stealthier member.

She had been aware of Blake drifting further away from them as time went on and it had actually come as unexpected to Ruby. Sure, when they had met Blake had been a rather mysterious individual who said and did little but Ruby was under the impression that they got over that little hurdle after their initiation. That discussion they had at Ozpin's office, while depressing, was informative and Ruby saw it as Blake willing to open up to them now that they were teammates instead of strangers who had awkward meetings.

The next day reinforced that with the fun they shared as Team RWBY. Blake had been smiling and going along with them and everything seemed fine. What had changed between then and now? These days when Ruby saw Blake it was similar to that night at the ballroom that served as the site for the first years' 'sleep over': seated at a corner, a book in hand, and seeking to separate herself from everyone else.

_"Don't worry too much about it," Yang spoke, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder._

_ "How can I _not _worry about it?" Ruby asked, visibly frustrated but welcoming her sister's touch all the same. She stomped her foot. "I'm team leader! If something's wrong with one of my teammates I need to find out what's wrong and figure out how to fix it for the good of the team!"_

_ "And she's my partner." The blonde squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "Look, I'm sure she's just a bit stressed from all the work we've been put through recently; especially you."_

_ That night when Ruby fell asleep during her studying had not been a one-time thing. As a leader, Ruby did have courses meant to develop her position such as small unit tactics and maneuvers to broaden her thinking to the point that it would become natural to take her teammate's abilities into account and how they supplemented one another instead of solely thinking about what she could do. They were mentally taxing as it is but combined with her regular classes the opening weeks had been particularly harsh on her._

_ She refused to be pitied on though. "I'm fine! I'm not a baby anymore!"_

_ Yang smiled, the expression carrying the same amount of tenderness and a hint of pride. "I know; you're our leader. And as a leader you should have some faith in your teammates, especially when one of them is me. I'll keep an eye on Blake and if it really proves to be something that can't be settled with just the two of us you'll be the first to know."_

_ Ruby frowned but couldn't find anything disagreeable with the logic or the plan that had just been presented to her. She sighed. "Fine. Promise that you'll tell me if something's wrong, okay?"_

_ "I promise." After a second squeeze Yang removed her hand. "Besides, I believe you have your own partner to worry about."_

Pyrrha's departure from the table – to find Jaune if Ruby had to guess - made that particular obstacle more apparent. With no one else sitting near her, there was nothing to deter Ruby's attention to the white-haired heiress next to her. Having considered her nails perfectly shaped, Weiss traded her filer for the apple that she bit into.

Unlike Blake, a relationship with Weiss Schnee had remained rocky even after their initiation which came to the boiling point at Professor Port's classroom. The vehemence which Weiss struck out at her with during and after their lesson had succeeded in planting the seeds of doubt within young Ruby when it came to her arrangement as leader.

With some friendly words from Ozpin, it ended up opening her eyes. Coming to Beacon had been her lifelong dream and doing so two years early with Yang no less had filled her with anticipation…and perhaps a bit of hubris. The recognition of her skills by the headmaster and premature acceptance led her to overconfidence that had her relishing her position a bit too much. Weiss's angry judgment as being unfit for leadership had been a rude wake-up call.

Ozpin gave her direction. Her title as team leader wasn't meant for showing off but to be carried with pride and enforced by her working at her best. If she wasn't always performing at her peak, what reason did others have to follow her?

When she went back to their dorm, Ruby sought to prove to Weiss that there was nothing to fear with following her. What she expected to take a lot of work ended up sorting itself out when she accidentally fell asleep in the middle of her studies and Weiss catching her in the act. Making up with Weiss wasn't an okay for her to go back to goofing off of course and, if anything, Ruby wanted to be sure that her partner's confidence in her abilities would not go unfounded.

To her delight, Weiss didn't stop at retrieving a needed batch of caffeine either to help her leader. Ruby knew she was great when it came to fighting but studying…not so much. It was just a pain to sit around reading about history or studying the anatomy of the Grimm when a heavy-caliber round to the head or a crescent-shaped blade across the throat was all that was needed for a Huntress to take care of what any obstacles may cross her path. Well, usually.

Fortunately, Weiss's knack for the academics went a long way to assisting Ruby and she owed the heiress loads of thanks. The red-themed girl just wished that it wasn't their study sessions that was _all _that Weiss was inclined to spend with her – albeit with her usual huffs and eye-rolls that tended to come with some of Ruby's floundering when posed with a difficult question.

Watching her partner eat, Ruby waited until she swallowed a bite before speaking up. "Hey, Weiss?"

Weiss hummed questionably to show that she was listening but offered nothing else; not even bringing Ruby into her sight. The young leader fended off the prickling of disappointment, instead choosing to venture on with, "Since we've been getting some free time, I was wondering if you'd like to hang out. Maybe later we can…um…"

_…Oh crap._ Try to spend some time with Weiss and don't even have an activity planned. _Great display of leadership, Rubes. _Deciding that a specific activity wasn't entirely necessary, Ruby continued, "Well, I don't know what we can do exactly, but we could take an airship to Vale later and find something to do! Maybe replenish our school supplies or…you know, whatever may come to mind while we're out."

The heiress spared her from her standard responses of slight annoyance. In fact, Weiss appeared almost as if she was considering it with how the chewing slowed and there came a slight furrow of her scarred brow. Finally she shook her head but still didn't face Ruby. "I can't. We have our field trip with Goodwitch coming up so it'd be wise if _we_ used the time to collect sources and references for Port's assigned essay."

"But that isn't due for three weeks!" Ruby protested. Granted, Weiss tended to apply extra effort when it came to Grimm Studies in particular for whatever reason but that was absurd.

That outburst got a reaction in the form of a look loaded with disapproval. "Three weeks that can fly right by when you take into account our other classes. We'll barely have a chance to do anything on the day of our trip to Forever Fall and we have our theoretical paper on Aura on top of that to prepare for."

Ruby pouted. Weiss had a valid claim but, still, she didn't see why they couldn't relax for a day. Not even that; a few hours would do. Things had been hectic earlier and all the time that Ruby wasn't in a lecture hall or an arena had been devoted to her schoolwork. Things have started to calm down though and while Ruby had no intentions of slacking off, she couldn't see why they couldn't have some fun during these breaks.

As if reading her thoughts, Weiss shook her head. "We can't allow ourselves to get complacent, Ruby. This is an opportunity to better establish our standing. What kind of best teammate would I be if I let you falter when now's the perfect time to strike?"

She sounded like a soldier preparing for battle. Ruby had initially admired her dedication and such talk had proven to be motivating (and kind of cool, if she had to admit) but today it was more frustrating than anything else.

It was hard to dissuade Weiss from anything when she got like this though and Ruby liked to think that, deep down, she was watching out for the team in her own way. "Fine," she spoke dejectedly.

Ignorant of her leader's attitude, Weiss stood up from her seat. "Good. We can't do it today but tomorrow we can head to the library. I'll access the school's inventory with my scroll and prepare a few selections that'll work for us." Ruby let her silence act as her reply and Weiss took it as a confirmation. "I'll see you later."

"See ya," Ruby responded with the same lack of enthusiasm, not that the heiress registered it.

Soon all that Ruby had to turn to were the chocolate chip cookies that were on her plate. Picking one up, she promptly shoved it in her mouth and bit down. It was no good; the baked good of crumbly and chocolaty deliciousness was inadequate in terms of providing suitable enjoyment.

Having the best teammate was all well and good, but what Ruby wanted was a friend.

A previously outrageous idea when it came to the Schnee heiress considering that she had wanted nothing to do with Ruby but she tried. In turn, Ruby had thought she only needed Yang but the desire to fix her own blunders that left Weiss mad had somehow evolved in a need to acquire her respect and to get her to know that there was more to Ruby Rose other than Crater Face. She believed that she had Weiss's respect but friendship she saw as an elusive thing.

She had Yang though, and Blake, and the entirety of JNPR. She'd think that that would be fine and she could live with Weiss as a dedicated comrade instead of a friend but found that she couldn't. She wanted their partnership to be more than that.

She wasn't being selfish. While the bond thing sounded awesome, she wasn't going to let it just be about that between her and Weiss. Truthfully, she was fine about not sharing her Aura with Weiss if it meant sharing some good memories instead.

Ruby dipped a hand, the rustling of paper announcing the appearance of a folded note that the young leader opened and held up to read the contents. The tips of her lips went up but there came a hint of sadness in her silver eyes.

_Lati, _she reminisced wistfully. _Aveline, Sven, Jake, Dante…_

She wouldn't trade her early acceptance into Beacon for anything. Nonetheless, the letter that updated her on her friends' status at Signal…sucked. She could see them during breaks and planned visits into Vale, but not having them here with her for two years where they could share jokes and laugh and entertain themselves during downtime hurt.

If Yang was here she would probably make a joke about the 'Ice Princess' being too cold to know anything about that. Ruby knew there was another side of her partner that she kept wrapped up. Her secret want for bunk beds was a clue and, recently, the talk of the Vytal Festival would have an unusually wide smile on her face before she got it under control as if afraid to let it show.

Problem was that Ruby's attempts to draw that side of Weiss out had ended exactly as they did here: the heiress resisting and emphasizing on their need for studying. Ruby wasn't trying to replace her friends. There was just something about Weiss that drew the cloaked girl to her and want to get her to open up; a reluctance that had the snow-haired girl holding back from merriment for whatever reason that Ruby couldn't pinpoint. Everyone else was friendly and enjoyed each other's company but Weiss was as reclusive as Blake was becoming.

Ruby would let Yang deal with her partner, but she had no idea how to do the same with her own. She supposed she could try ordering Weiss to relax although she had a suspicion that that would result in backfiring. Exhaling audibly, Ruby put the letter away…and nearly jolted right out of her seat. "Gah!"

Nora had slid down the table while Ruby had been distracted to position herself directly across from her. When Ruby dropped the letter, it was to see the hammer-wielder having lied down across the table so that her face was little more than a foot away from Ruby's. That was actually not the strangest thing about Nora's position; that would be her lying upside down. And she was frowning while turquoise orbs gazed intently on Ruby.

"Er…" Ruby tipped backwards to try and get some space albeit not much unless she wanted to fall out of her seat. Nora's stare made her tense. "Nora, what are you doing?"

The frown didn't go away but Nora's response was bright and chirpy. "Turning some frowns upside down!"

"O…kay." She said it but it took her a moment to register what Nora was getting at. When she did, Ruby couldn't stop herself from smiling at this latest antic.

Nora let out a disappointed "Aaaw…" before rolling back over and adopting a proper seating position, her frown switching as well.

As kooky as Nora was, Ruby liked her. Nothing ever seemed to get to her and the young leader commended her for her constant cheerfulness. To put it bluntly, she was fun and Ruby could always count on her to lighten up the situation as she was currently doing.

_Actually…_ Ruby glanced down the table and realized that Ren was missing. A rare thing as the two of them were practically inseparable unless their schedules conflicted.

"So what's got you down Ruby my friend?" Nora asked. Taking advantage of the extra room with everyone gone, the girl gripped the bench seat beneath her to better sway left and right like a metronome.

Ruby's eyes similarly moved to follow her body, idly wondering if it was having a hypnotic effect on her as she felt compelled to speak. "It's Weiss."

"Hm." Nora didn't let up but her face scrunching up in deliberation was noticeable. "Weiss, ice, nice, dice, slice…"

"…Huh?"

"So what about your partner?" she asked gleefully.

Choosing to ignore whatever it was that she had been going on about, Ruby explained, "I suppose there's nothing wrong with her being my partner. She's really smart, a strong fighter, and she's been helping me a lot when it comes to our assignments." Fondness sought to dominate her features but was quickly discouraged. "But it would be nice if it wasn't just that between us. Other than that, we don't hang out or really do anything else together."

"Mhm, mhm, mhm." Nora bobbed her head with each utterance. "So she's a bad friend."

"What? No!" Ruby shook her own fiercely. "Nothing like that! I mean…she can't really be a bad friend when I'm not even sure we _are _friends."

That persuaded Nora to sit still and examine the depressing expression that the scythe-wielder possessed whose chin dipped so she could to stare forlornly at the table's surface. "So you're trying to get her to be your friend." Her bright smile somehow got brighter. "Well that shouldn't be a problem!"

Considering that Ruby had just been going over how much of a problem it was, Nora's boasting did little to sway her otherwise. Doubtful, she replied, "Easier said than done. This is Weiss Schnee we're talking about; crazy rich and famous. I don't even have a clue as to what kind of life that's like."

Coming from a modest upbringing, Ruby could only wonder what it was like to being able to have anything you wanted and be admired for it. She may not know the specifics but guessed that Weiss had some kind of humongous mansion to go home to, an army of servants to order around, and closets full of fancy dresses for lavish dinners. You know; rich people stuff.

Nora actually seemed surprised at Ruby's statement and even slightly miffed. "That's why I'm offering to help you, silly!" She pounded a fist against her chest, head held high. "I know what she's like! After all, I'm Nora _Valkyrie_!"

Ruby stared wordlessly at her as an awkward silence came over the two of them that was broken up by the surrounding students who went on with their lunch. Getting no reaction, Nora glanced at Ruby then - with another chest pound and an extra inch of tilt to her chin – repeated, "Nora _Valkyrie_!"

Still nothing. Well, Ruby did cock her head to the side and lower her brows but that was to convey puzzlement, not recognition.

There came another flash of turquoise that took it all in. "Valkyrie. Like, _Valkyrie Shipping and Transportation?"_ At Ruby's helpless shrug, Nora frowned for a second before wiping it away with not just a whimsical grin but a tune as well. "By track, sea, road, or air, if you need it delivered we'll get it there!"

It was catchy but despite that and how Nora threw in some moves to go with it – standing up on her seat and holding her hand above her eyes like a sailor peering at the horizon, gripping an invisible steering wheel, and ending it with one leg raised and arms spread out to imitate an airship -, it proved unhelpful. Remaining standing, Nora planted her hands on her hips and explained, "My daddy owns the largest shipping and delivery company in Remnant. Well, he does now since he took over _Hoffa Hand Deliveries_."

Maybe her lifestyle was a bit _too _modest. When she met Weiss, Ruby didn't have any idea as to who she was either and had gone with 'some crabby girl' whose luggage she tripped over. Coupled with this, Ruby had to think that she might be poorly detached from the going-ons of the world when it didn't involve monsters and fighting.

"Anyway!" Spinning precariously on one foot, Nora spoke, "I may not be as rich as Weiss but not by that much. That Dust's gotta get around somehow!" Halting her spin, she next lifted her arms again and kept them there to balance herself when she began walking along the cleared seat as if it were a tightrope.

No one was giving her any special attention, Ruby being no exception as she had long-since written off scenes such as this as normal. Nora could never keep herself in one place for very long, always needing to meet some hidden requirement to keep moving no matter what. Watching Nora gradually make her way to one end of the bench seat where she spun around and started moving to the other, Ruby idly wondered how she got through her professors' lectures.

When she returned to proper hearing distance, Nora continued, "Daddy always got me what I wanted and called me his little princess. Dresses, toys, candies, ponies; every day was like my birthday."

"Sounds pretty great," Ruby said as she imagined what it would be like to have her own cookie treasury or stocking up an inventory of all the custom parts and mods that she read about in her magazines and would spend her time obsessing over like what kind of sights and grips she would dress up Crescent Rose with. Her accuracy was already top-notch and she had no idea where she would put it but a laser sight might be cool.

_A laser sight in the shape of a rose instead of a dot, _she fantasied, the idea overriding any sense of practicality. _Yep, needs to be done._

"It was," Nora confirmed, reminding Ruby of her more pressing issue. "But all of that is just stuff unless you have someone to share it with." Coming up directly across from Ruby, Nora turned fully towards her, arms dropping away to be held behind her back. "My dad and Ren's dad are like brothers and the two of us have known each other since we were little. Toys are so much better when you have someone to play with and sugar sap caramels taste sweeter when you can split half a bag instead of having it all for yourself." A moment of deliberation later and she corrected, "Well, maybe not _half_ a bag. A third is fine…nah, a quarter; Ren never minded."

Ruby understood what Nora was getting at yet didn't see how that was something that Weiss couldn't get. Resting her cheek in the palm of her hand, Ruby spoke, "I'm sure that Weiss had a line of people wanting to be her friends."

The comment was spoken nonchalantly – a casual presumption -, but the reaction that Nora responded with wasn't so. A sheet of steel came over those blue-green pair of irises and the ever-quirked tips of her lips smoothed down to a thin line. "They are _not_ friends."

This alarming contrast to the pink-loving girl's merry attitude surprised Ruby and a jolt that was sent through RWBY's leader had her sitting up straight.

"Those people are liars," Nora explained with a Not-Nora voice. "They're not interested in playing; just money or favors. Daddy had to deal with a lot of them. He always said that they left him alone once he gave them a new pair of shoes and some snorkeling lessons but I think even that's being too nice."

While Ruby didn't get that last part – what did shoes and snorkeling have to do with anything? -, this air of menace that exuded from Nora had her swallowing hard. She discreetly glanced to her left and right, suddenly wishing that there was someone else nearby and the other students were much too far away despite being one or two tables over in her mind.

As if a switch was flipped, Not-Nora became Nora again and the severe look was swapped with her usual radiant smile. "But you're not a liar! Once our dads let us go to combat school, Ren and I made new friends with the bestest ones having to be you guys! Jaune's funny and Pyrrhas's so so nice and I'm happy to be the N of our team! Oooh!" Her face somehow lit up further. "I should have Ren make pancakes one day. We never got the chance to really celebrate our initiation and his pancakes are outstanding! Need to make sure we have plenty of syrup though because how can you have pancakes without it?"

Mercifully, whoever happened to be watching over Ruby decided to add the chiming of the bell to discourage a resurgence of that other Nora. The cloaked girl took advantage of it, using the opportunity to inhale her last cookie and quickly get to her feet. "I'm happy to know that you consider me as a friend, but I should really get to class. Like, now."

"Oh yeah, we were talking about Weiss!" Although appearing to have disregarded the sound of the bell and Ruby's insistence on getting to class, Nora did hop off the bench seat to land on the floor and skip after Ruby. "It'll be no sweat, Rubles! All you need to do is get to know Weiss and show her what a great friend you can be!"

"I'll make sure to take that under advisement," Ruby assured, a little wary but seeing happy, ordinary Nora put her at ease. "I do appreciate your help, Nora. Now that I think about it, I don't remember ever thanking you for letting me use that rope for our bunk beds. It's been doing a marvelous job!"

"Well of course!" Nora replied. "That rope's strong stuff; I use it all the time. Chains might've worked better but they get noisy if a person moves around too much."

Unlike Yang and Blake, Ruby didn't have any kind of items that could be used in the construction of her and Weiss's bunk beds. A quick trip across the hall to JNPR's room and a question had Nora instantly offering her own resources in the form of cords of rope that she had taken from – of all people -, Ren's luggage. When asked if it was okay, Nora just said that it was extra anyway that her partner was holding on for her.

She hadn't had the time to ask during then, but seeing that she did now, Ruby questioned, "What do you use all that rope for anyway?"

It was that kind of thing you noticed. You don't know why, but during certain moments you can perceive how a second seemed to stretch longer than necessary. For Ruby, that radiance in Nora's smile diminished. It didn't move, didn't even twitch, but that in itself was odd with how frozen it was for that stretched out second.

Turning her head, Nora fixed Ruby with that odd facial gesture before patting the young girl's cheek. "Don't ask questions unless you're sure that you really want to know the answers to them." Then Magnihild's mistress was giggling. "I always wanted to say that!"

Ruby had stopped but Nora didn't seem to notice as she skipped on ahead without her. Ruby would remain where she was for a full minute, pondering over how something delivered so cheerfully can sound so very threatening.

* * *

Jaune's words refused to go away. While he did leave once Pyrrha found them and ushered him off to the locker room to prepare for the latter half of the day, it did little to clear Blake's mind of the jumble of thoughts that occupied her mind and been worked into a frenzy.

It would've been easier had it just been words that Blake was trying to banish. However, the live demonstration that she bore witness to kept playing over and over again.

A faunus girl scared and alone; left to wallow in her latest case of misfortune that no one had tried to assist her with. She had sought solace in her own miserable corner, blocking out the brutality of the world in favor of the darkness of her own self-pity.

It was those moments of vulnerability that could change you for the worst. Maybe not the first instance, maybe not the second or the hundredth, but, ultimately, there would come a point when even your own makeshift shelter would come crashing down whether from within or without. Then you would have to make a choice: succumb to the savagery or be a part of it with the mistaken logic that your methods justified its use.

A thousand times the cycle had repeated with no deviation. No anomaly, no exception. Until today.

"_They weren't there to help her and I couldn't just stand by and leave her alone to cry. At the very least, I wanted her to know that not everyone is like Cardin; that there are good people in the world."_

One for every one thousand; that was how many good people there were and that was nowhere near enough.

…_No one had been there to help me._

Not a human anyway.

The math kept it in perspective for Blake. What she had witnessed was an isolated incident that occurred within a controlled environment. Even if someone had been there to help her like there had been someone for Velvet that would've been one good deed that sprouted during a lifetime of suffering. And once it passed, the possibility of a repeat was absurd.

Seeing Velvet again as the day went on was proof of that.

Blake actually had recognized the rabbit faunus. Faunus students were few and far between so it was a simple matter to keep track of them. Other than Velvet – and herself of course -, there was only one other student in Professor Oobleck's class who was a faunus with the rest being human.

Jaune had been good on his promise at least. Blake had arrived early and taken a seat at one of the desks. Weiss and Pyrrha came later with the former taking a seat at the desk behind Blake while the latter took one next to her. Finally, Jaune and Velvet appeared.

The rabbit faunus followed the blond boy in, ears higher than usual but the tips still drooped. Nonetheless, it was a vast improvement to when Blake last saw her. In fact, Blake was amazed to see that Velvet's lips were slightly elevated as well and she seemed to have no reservations about sticking close to Jaune's side. It was a scene that Blake had believed to be restricted to her imaginations brought on by her books yet here it was playing right in front of her eyes.

Unfortunately, like when she closed her books, reality had to take over. While Velvet sat down at a desk in the front row right in front of her, Jaune spared a moment to exchange some words with Pyrrha. The distraction was enough for another student to take a seat beside Velvet and, seeing it occupied, Jaune chose the next desk over. There wasn't that much space separating them but Velvet appeared disappointed and her brown ears lowered another degree.

Right when class was about to begin, Cardin and Dove entered the lecture hall. All optimism was trampled beneath their feet in the form of Velvet's lengthy appendages reverting back to their original position; nearly hanging right over her face while she huddled within her seat to keep out of sight.

Cardin did glance at her and Blake did stiffen upon sighting the hints of a smirk. Whether he was debating on humiliating Velvet or not she didn't know as that was when their teacher arrived and the members of CRDL claimed their own spots with the leader taking one above and behind Jaune; a fitting position for him Blake was sure.

Seeing the danger pass, Velvet didn't hide her relief. However, her ears and form remained bowed.

Professor Bartholomew Oobleck was an example of how varied the staff of Beacon was. Glynda Goodwitch was a stereotypical stern and strict professor; cool but uncompromising when it came to maintaining order. Peter Port, in sharp contrast, favored a more grandiose approach with bad jokes and overdramatic retellings of his experiences as a Huntsman.

Oobleck was hard to pin down…and Blake did not mean that solely in the figurative sense.

"Yes, yes!" their professor cried out as he glided along the floor. Or, rather, it appeared as if he was gliding with how fast he moved; there wasn't even a twitch of his legs to signal a sudden burst of speed. "Prior to The Faunus Rights Revolution – more popularly known as The Faunus War –, humankind was quite quite adamant about centralizing faunus population in Menagerie!"

Having moments ago been standing in front of the rows of desks, their history teacher sped as a white and green blur behind his desk where a map of Remnant was held up, sporting a mess of pins, lines, and written notes. After tapping his pointer to direct the students to the location of Menagerie, he zoomed off to the side, took a sip of coffee, and was then standing in front of his desk in an instant.

"Now!" he spoke, raising the wooden pointer above his head energetically. "While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!"

Not once did he remain at one point for more than two seconds. Whereas Port would pace in front of his class and sweep his arms as if to take in the entire room while Glynda would remain still but make sure her gaze would thoroughly seek out any who weren't paying attention, Oobleck would continually glide along the floor to make sure he visited every portion of his lecture hall, broken up by moments where he took a sip of coffee that was always on hand. With how many he took, Blake reasoned that he should be needing constant refills but not once did she see him take a break to do so. When she examined his desk though, she theorized that instead of a refill he just covertly snatched one of the other haphazardly placed mugs that – quite possibly – had been prefilled for his lectures when he zipped by.

Their professor's personal appearance was quite similar to the map and his desk. His white shirt wasn't fully tucked into his dark green pants and the collar was raised, a yellow tie hung slack from around his neck, and his left foot wore a brown-colored shoe while the right shoe was black. The style of his green hair can best be described as him pouring a lot of gel into it and sweeping it back in a single pass, uncaring of how messy it looked as long as it didn't fall in front of the opaque lenses of his glasses.

Such a messy attire should not be considered as him being unprepared; far from it. In Blake's opinion, Oobleck was a professor who willingly sacrificed tidiness in his devotion to meet the day and impart his knowledge to his charges. A sign of that was how he would only remain stationary when he awaited an answer to a question he would pose to the class.

He happened to stop right in front of their row of desks for such an occurrence. "Now, have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your faunus heritage?"

Blake was as observant as he was for the results. She peeked over at the other faunus in their class – the floppy dog ears that were flat against his head hard to make out - to see him raising his hand.

Velvet was not as inclined to raise hers as fast. It was only when she saw a member of her race do so that she lifted her own albeit timidly.

The circumstances prevented Blake from doing the same but it was unanimous: there wasn't a faunus here who had been spared.

Oobleck must have chosen his position in front of Velvet for a reason because, upon sighting her hand, he tipped his head to her as a sign of sympathy before exclaiming, "Dreadful, truly dreadful! Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!" After an uncharacteristically slow downing of his coffee, he cleared a few feet of space to his right. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to the White Fang!"

There came a contraction of the muscles in Blake's shoulder blades at being reminded of what, exactly, happened to her group. Oobleck was spot on; it was the ignorance of humankind and their treatment of the faunus that bred the violence that dominated the actions of her former comrades. That didn't mean it made it right and Blake knew that too but what did people expect to happen?

She found herself analyzing the map of Remnant and that spot of land that was Menagerie. Unlike the other, larger continents that spanned across the mass of Remnant and were the site of the four kingdoms, Menagerie was one of the smallest bits of land to be found on the map. It was also the furthest away from the central gathering of most of those human capitals.

_"They tried to banish us to some Godforsaken wasteland!" he snarled, the red detailing of his mask glowing intensely. "The only reason any of them stopped was because we made them!"_

A chill ran down Blake's spine at the memory no matter how true the claim was. Menagerie was everything that humanity could've asked for to keep the faunus out of sight and out of mind. Surrounded by the sea and removed from the standard trade routes that humans shared with one another to this day, the faunus would be completely cut off and left to fend for themselves. So desperate to rid themselves of this minority, they had, as Oobleck said, been 'quite adamant' about 'centralizing' the faunus population to it.

It was humanity's ignorance that led them to thinking that the faunus would let them do so without a fight. When they did fight back, it was arrogance that had the humans losing.

"Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" Shortly after asking, Oobleck directed his attention up. "Yes?"

"The battle at Fort Castle," Weiss replied matter-of-factly.

"Precisely!" Oobleck confirmed, slapping his pointer against his desk which he had miraculously returned to. "And who can tell me the advantage the faunus had over General Lagune's forces?"

"Hey."

Blake had forgotten about Jaune and it was her second pair of ears that let her catch the groggy syllable that was obviously not meant to be taken as him volunteering with how the blond lurched back in his seat when Oobleck was in front of him in a moment. "Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent, excellent! What is the answer?"

"Uh…" Jaune started uncertainly. "The answer…the advantage…"

The sluggish repeating of the question was a dead giveaway and someone else picked up on it. Next to Blake, Pyrrha audibly cleared her throat in order to get her leader's attention. Once she had it she pointed to her eyes while silently mouthing 'night vision'. When that didn't seem to click, she formed circles with her fingers and held them in front of her face.

She had his attention and Blake wondered if Oobleck truly didn't realize how Jaune was plainly looking over his shoulder in order to see his partner and her hints. In the end, it didn't matter. "Binoculars!"

The ridiculous answer coerced a round of giggles and chuckles from his fellow classmates. A particularly nasally laugh that was followed with the pounding of a fist had Blake seeking the source and a sneaking suspicion coming to mind when she found Cardin appearing quite pleased with himself.

"Very funny, Mr. Arc," Oobleck spoke after a disappointed sip of his coffee and a shot back to his desk. With Cardin's laugh lingering, he set his sights on the other team leader. "Cardin, perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject."

"Well," Cardin spoke lazily with feet propped up on his desk, "I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier."

Blake bristled.

"You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you Cardin?" Pyrrha asked in disapproval.

Cardin sent her a glare across the open space between them. "What, you got a problem?"

Pyrrha ignored the challenge, making it a point to turn away from him to address Oobleck. "No, I have the answer: its night vision. Many faunus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark."

Blake was ready to leave it at that but with Cardin's comment stuck in her mind and seeing how aggravated he became at Pyrrha's answer, she couldn't prevent herself from disgracing him as she added, "General Lagune was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched and the general was captured."

Her professor was nodding his head in what Blake knew was approval but she translated it as encouragement. Remembering how Cardin had humiliated Velvet and how _he_ didn't stop, Blake smirked at him. "Perhaps if he'd paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as _such_ a failure."

That got a reaction. Dropping his feet from the desk, Cardin stood up and turned his glare on Blake. His hands clenched into fists and rage colored his features.

"Mr. Winchester," Oobleck intervened. "Please take your seat. You _and_ Mr. Arc can both see me after class."

As thick-headed as Cardin was, even he wouldn't defy a staff member. After sticking his angry stare onto Blake for a little longer, he returned to his seat.

_That was for Velvet._

There came a soft touch at Blake's arm. "Hey, are you alright?"

It was then that Blake noticed that while Cardin had turned away, she had continued glowering at him. It was not just that she relaxed either as she found herself loosening fingers that had curled into fists similar to Cardin's. "I'm fine."

Pyrrha brows knitted with concern. "Are you sure?"

Truthfully, Blake would've felt better if Cardin had ignored Oobleck. She had taken pleasure in humiliating him just as he did to Velvet but that hadn't been enough. When he stood up to pick a fight, the faunus had been ready to meet him. She would've made him regret everything he had done to Velvet and any other faunus who he disrespected. She didn't have Gambol Shroud but taking him down with her bare hands would've been better anyway…and more satisfying.

She wasn't going to tell Pyrrha that and Blake reeled herself in. "I'm sure."

Still unconvinced, Pyrrha gently said, "Look, I know Cardin deserved that but you shouldn't let him get to you."

Blake chose not to reply and brought her attention back to their lesson. She knew Pyrrha was still concerned about her but, eventually, the redhead joined her. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until Blake found Velvet's subdued form at the forefront of her vision.

One good deed can't correct a lifetime of being at the receiving end of wrongdoings. Jaune and Yang had helped Velvet but she was still scared, still distrustful. With Cardin always around to remind her of what she's being put through because of what she is, Velvet can't possibly see humans in the same light as she did with her own kind.

As kindhearted as she was, Pyrrha didn't understand. Sooner or later, they'll get to you. They'll keep going and going, taking your reluctance to fight back as consent that what they were doing was appropriate.

The only time that they'll stop is when you decide to make them.

The rest of their class ended without any more trouble. Upon hearing the bell, students gathered up their books and notes before crowding to the exits except for Cardin and Jaune. With Pyrrha mentioning she was going to wait behind and Weiss nowhere in sight, Blake left the hall by herself, an objective in mind.

While Velvet remained bowed, her rabbit ears were easy to see over the heads of the other students even when not at their full height and Blake effortlessly followed her. She still wanted to talk to the other faunus yet she still wasn't sure what she should say. She hoped that when the crowd of students dispersed throughout the halls and give her a suitable chance to speak with her, it would allow her to think of something.

It didn't. Instead, she found something else to worry about.

Pyrrha may've felt a responsibility to wait for her leader, but Dove Bronzewing didn't share it. Nor did he apparently need his leader to urge him to do some mischief. When the students cleared, Blake caught sight of Dove and how he seemed to have an interest in Velvet.

_They won't stop…_

That desire that Cardin had influenced a moment ago came back with a vengeance when Blake spotted the grin that the boy possessed at seeing the tiny rabbit faunus. He quickened his pace, eager to come up on the unsuspecting Velvet.

Blake went to intercept, her pulse racing.

_There came a pounding between both sets of her ears as she stared down at the body that lied at her feet. Breathing heavily, she tightly gripped the wooden shaft of her sign that had been broken in two with the missing piece lying on the other side of her fallen attacker. There was the salt of her tears and the coppery taste of blood on her lips, mixing together and doing little to halt the nauseous churning of her stomach. Her grip weakened, her symbol of peace-turned weapon slipping through now limp fingers and leaving behind the splinters that were embedded in her palm._

_ She didn't mean it. She didn't mean to do this. Why didn't they just stop? They knew they were hurting her but they just _wouldn't stop.

Then Blake did stop.

Dove did too for the same reason; the one that had nails digging through the cloth of his uniform to better stab into his shoulder. Wincing at the pain, he turned to see who had approached him.

Yang had her own uniform on but it hardly did anything to make her appear any less intimidating with how she stood over Dove. "And where do you think _you're _going?"

The boy glanced back over at Velvet who remained unaware, then at Yang. He straightened up and squared his shoulders, trying to make up for the height difference.

Yang brought her head down so that she was eye level with Dove. Then, in a deathly calm voice, she spoke, "Not even on your best day, with all of your friends."

There came a flash of crimson within those lilac orbs and the spectacle chilled Blake. For Dove, it and the reminder of how very alone he was at the moment persuaded him to go elsewhere. As soon as Yang released him, he made a hasty escape in the opposite direction of Velvet.

The blonde tracked him to make sure he didn't get any funny ideas. Satisfied that he was gone, Yang looked as if she was going to go in the rabbit faunus's direction until she happened to catch Blake. The aggression was wiped away immediately and she smiled at her partner. "Hey, Blake!"

That welcoming smile that came so easily didn't get the faunus to forget what she had seen on the usually cheerful and caring blonde. Forcing herself to recover, Blake hesitantly spoke, "Hey, Yang."

Yang hadn't waited for her greeting, having turned to see the retreating Velvet. Watching her disappear around a corner apparently spurred the brawler into action. "Actually, glad you're here! Got something I want you to help me with!"

Before Blake knew it, her partner grabbed her wrist and the faunus found herself being dragged behind. She stumbled and almost fell over but regained her footing despite how Yang didn't slow down at all. "Yang, what are you doing?"

"Hold on, I'll explain in a sec!" she assured. After clearing the same corner, she was shouting, "Velvs! Velvet!"

The turn that Yang dragged her around came closer to getting Blake to topple over. Fortunately, this time Yang slowed and it was easier for the faunus to straighten for a second instance. She soon saw that the reason for Yang's courtesy was because they had caught up to their quarry.

Velvet had spun around at the blonde's call and was staring at the two of them in astonishment. "Y-Yang?"

"Heya!" Yang greeted, letting go of Blake's wrist. "I was planning on catching you and Jaune after your class was finished!"

The long ears twitched with the confusion that was evident in those brown eyes as Velvet regarded her. "You were?"

"Yeah!" That smile diminished and, with a furrow of her brow, Yang scanned around them. "But…I see that Jaune isn't here. Don't tell me he actually ditched you."

As thrown off as she was with this turn of events, the unhappy look on Yang's face had Blake mustering up an excuse for Jaune as she didn't want JNPR's leader to take any blame for what hadn't been his fault. With what he's done for Velvet, he earned that much. She didn't get a chance.

"No!" Velvet cried out hastily. She blinked, seemingly amazed with her own outburst then quickly looked down at her feet to hide a blush of embarrassment. With a bashful voice she explained, "I-I mean, it wasn't his fault... Cardin was picking on him and he got in trouble with Oobleck."

Blake was as surprised as her fellow faunus. She was actually defending Jaune after only having known him for a short amount of time. All so that Yang wouldn't get mad at him.

"I see." A frown was produced at the explanation but Yang shrugged. "Eh, I'm sure he won't mind."

Velvet lifted her head back up at that. "Mind what?"

"Well I mean I _know _he won't say no and I got the okay from Ruby. Anyway, I can't help but notice that you don't eat with any of your teammates during lunch."

"W-we have a different lunch period!" Velvet responded, her voice tending to stutter with how she made such quick replies, this one possibly because she wanted to avoid another potential misunderstanding. "I have a special class that I take because of my abilities."

"Is that so?" Grinning, Yang reached out and gave Velvet a hearty slap on the shoulder that got the faunus to squeak. "I'd love to hear it and I'm sure the others will! You can tell us all about it when we eat together tomorrow!"

There came another twitch from those ears. Velvet tilted her head to the right and the furry appendage at the same side bent to match the motion. "Together?"

The grin stretching to cross her entire face, Yang proudly proclaimed, "Velvet Scarlatina, as chosen ambassador of the Team RWBY-JNPR table, I cordially invite you to dine with us tomorrow and every day after that! And as a bonus…"

Blake yelped at the shove that nearly had her colliding into Velvet who managed to hop away to avoid it. When she straightened, Blake was face-to-face with her fellow faunus and guessed that she was as bewildered as she was.

"I want to introduce you to my partner!" Yang exclaimed. "Blake, this is Velvet. I kind of bumped into her in the girls' room earlier. Velvet, this is Blake!"

Velvet was blinking repeatedly at Blake. Managing to recuperate at this point, Blake held out a hand to her as there was no way she was going to give any kind of impression that she disagreed with this setup. "…It's Blake Belladonna."

Velvet stared down at the extended hand, then to Yang who couldn't get rid of her grin. When she looked to Blake, the rabbit faunus appeared as if she wanted to drift away from her as her ears once again drooped.

Blake felt an uncomfortable twinge at that. _I'm one of you…_

Velvet's ears and body straightened. Then, smiling, she clasped Blake's hand with her own. "Nice to meet you."

One out of one thousand, huh?

It took a moment for Blake to register what had happened. When she did, she returned the smile and gave Velvet a shake. "You too."

She supposed it was better than nothing.

* * *

The progress bar that Ruby had been keeping track of became obstructed by the appearance of a message. While annoyed at the interruption, her curiosity and recognizing the name of the sender had the young leader eagerly reading the contents.

_[From: Yang Xiao Long_

_Team: RWBY_

_Diplomatic negotiations have come to a close, fearless leader! Another one for the RWBY-JNPR court!]_

_Sweet_! Ruby silently cheered, glad to see a mission that she had green lit for one of her subordinates meeting a resounding success. She had gotten Yang's request to offer an invitation to the rabbit faunus that was getting bullied during lunch and, obviously, she had approved it.

That just left her with her own assignment. Clearing the message from the screen of her scroll, Ruby was ecstatic to see that the progress bar had filled up during her quick reading. Closing the device, the girl unplugged the small cord that had attached it to her pair of red headphones.

This probably wasn't what she was supposed to be doing with school property but if anyone found out, she was sure she could use the excuse that it fell within her parameters of team leader if her activities involved the betterment of Team RWBY. Besides, it was only a few songs.

Trading her scroll for the headphones, Ruby flipped it around in her hands until she was staring at the ear piece that had a screen of its own although much smaller. Pressing a couple buttons, she started scrolling through the songs that were saved within its memory storage until one in particular came up.

_[Weiss Schnee – Mirror Mirror]_

Slipping the headphones over her ears, Ruby pressed play and laid down on her bunk, ready to gather much-needed intelligence on her target.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Rule number one when it comes to bunny girls: you always help the bunny girls when they're being abused!_

**Brain: **Aaaah, I remember all the complaints and fics that were made in response to this episode.

_So holy crap, THAT happened. Longest chapter I've ever written! I blame my partner for the Nora idea. That was definitely not part of my initial plan and I was reluctant to use it as I was kind of restricting myself from playing with the backgrounds of the characters that weren't Weiss and Blake._

**Brain: **If the fans like it and Monty says he loves it, it's a-okay in my book! Besides, be honest, how much of any of this is gonna survive canon? Might as well use the opportunity!

_Part of the fun with writing this fic _is_ reviewing what I wrote and thinking of how many different ways things can get totally screwed up when we get our next volume. I especially like the possibility of finding out eating Grimm is poisonous and I inadvertently killed off Ruby and Weiss after their emotional reunion in _Reunion.

**Brain: **I'm sure Port is awesome enough to make Grimm…not poison. Or something. I dunno. We'll take it as it comes and laugh no matter what! Now onwards, to Forever Fall!

_Oy, the ideas I'm gonna have to write down for THAT chapter…_


	5. Forever Fall

"_You think that Blake's, like, really anxious right now?"_

_-Miles Luna (Commenting on_ Forever Fall_)_

* * *

**=Months Ago=**

She fell.

She fell but it was for a second before she met the branches. The momentum that came with falling from the speeding train had red leaves slapping at her face while thin wooden claws tugged at her hair and scratched her bare arms as she plunged earthward.

The pinpricks of pain served to bring her back enough to activate her Aura before she hit something very, very hard. It had her folding over it, interrupting her descent until she was sliding off. Not for a moment did it occur to her to reach out to turn that obstacle into a lifeline and soon she was continuing her journey down.

It ended when she hit the ground.

And for a while she didn't feel anything at all.

The rest of her senses were fine. Her hearing was able to make out the clacking of the train, her now uncovered pair of faunus ears letting it last for just a little longer before it retreated completely out of range. The mechanical sounds soon gave way to the natural ones: a timely breeze that retook possession of the branches that she had hurtled through, their creaking masked by the shaking foliage.

She could still see. Lying on her stomach with cheek pressed against the ground, she made out the carpet of blood-colored grass that extended all around her, broken up by the thick, brown bark that went on for miles and miles. The leaves – whether due to her or the wind – fell all around her.

She registered how a few landed right on her, partially shrouding her form. At her face, arms, and stomach, the stems and blades of grass poked the exposed skin. The breeze that roused the forest to life attempted to do the same to her.

But she didn't _feel_ it.

She still breathed and the grass near her mouth played within her breath as readily as they did within the air currents. She blinked when she had to. Her body reacted when it was required to.

But by no means did she feel alive.

She was missing something. She wasn't sure what yet she perceived that something very important was absent whether because she had misplaced it or it had just gotten lost. Whatever it was, it left her detached from the world around her and her own bodily functions, making her more like a spectator that was viewing the world through someone else's eyes.

The mystery vanished as soon as the name came to her. With the next bit of air she gathered, a portion of it was devoted to utter a name without her volition. "…A-Adam…"

Her throat was raw and the name came out as a croak because of it but there was something that felt so very empty about it. It invoked a hollow resonance deep within her that drew her attention to a leftover throbbing at her skull where she had previously struck her forehead, the same with her back. The thin lines that traveled up her arms stung and the burning sensation at her cheeks was cooled by a wetness that originated from an itching at her eyes.

The name was oh so familiar but there was no comfort to be found. Just…emptiness coupled with a desire to satiate it. There came a perverse twist as that same name responsible for this emptiness became a focus that convinced her that it could fix it. She just had to find it.

Her movements were slow and hesitant and she accomplished removing her face from the ground before her cat ears suddenly turned in the direction of noise that was not being produced by her or nature. Past the swinging branches and the red-leafed rain, she caught sight of a bone-like mask with crimson lines curving along its surface.

"Adam…?"

A bestial growl was the response.

* * *

"So who was that, Ruby?" Yang asked as soon as their leader closed the door. Her legs were hanging over the edge of her bed and Blake found the swinging of her bare feet at the corner of her vision to be quite a distraction that kept her from being fully engrossed in her novel.

"Actually, it was Jaune," she replied.

It was another one of those normal nights for Team RWBY. With the coming of darkness the girls were dressed and ready for sleep but not before partaking in last-minute discussions while they relaxed. Noise and the flickering of light beneath their door had played on Ruby's curiosity to investigate what was going on out in the hall.

"Did he lock himself out of his room again?"

Ruby grinned although she didn't seem to be carrying as much of the humor as the action usually did. "That was what I asked but, no, we were just catching up; I hadn't seen him in a while."

"No one has seen him in a while. Did he mention why he's been hanging around Cardin so much lately?"

Blake tore her gaze away from the pages and her partner's soles so that it could flick up towards Ruby. She was interested as well. Despite Velvet having accepted their invitation, the number at their table hadn't risen to nine students due to Jaune's mysterious transfer to Team CRDL's right after the arrangement had been made.

Questioning his teammates didn't provide much information with Pyrrha in particular going cold and supplying curt responses. Considering their own talk, it was baffling to Blake how Jaune was now fraternizing with Cardin and his bunch.

_Fraternizing may be too polite of a word, _she thought. Retrieving food for all four members, gathering their messy trays when done, and it seemed like Jaune's number of assignments had spiked with how he wrote more than ate. His reward tended to be slugs to the arm and headlocks that appeared mean-spirited rather than comradely.

To Blake, the sight was akin to a servant who was acting under thankless masters. She was curious as to what had brought that on.

"He did mention something about that," Ruby replied and visibly wrestled with whether to tell what that is with lips pursued. In the end she decided on, "But I think he'll be able to handle it."

"Well I would certainly hope so," came Weiss, her statement lacking any sympathy. The heiress was seated at a desk, brushing her hair with the aid of a short mirror. "If he can't handle it then he shouldn't have accepted Ozpin's decision to make him leader."

Blake shot her a look of disapproval and even Ruby frowned at her partner, neither of which the mirror displayed for the heiress. Remembering how Weiss had beheld the whole bullying situation with Velvet, Blake's opinion of the fencer hadn't improved since then. The others had welcomed the rabbit faunus with open arms and had willingly included her in their conversations but Weiss tended to keep her interactions to a minimum with her brushing off Velvet during those rare exchanges.

At the very least, for once it was the free-thinkers who outnumbered the close-minded individuals. Unfortunately, the exception was the future recipient of Schnee Dust. That girl who was concerning herself with her appearance was to become the next head of the company that had taken to such deplorable actions against the faunus. It didn't seem like Weiss disagreed with whatever abuse was sent their way.

_Her father must be so proud._

She couldn't see what Yang thought of this but she did take note to how her limbs stilled and there came a flexing of her toes. "I'm with Ruby on this. When it really counts, Jaune does know how to step up."

Ruby took some assurance from her sister's confidence. "I believe that too." It was enough for her to change to a topic that had her starry-eyed with child-like fascination. "But hey, tomorrow is our field trip to Forever Fall!"

Blake had initially elevated her novel to hide a tiny smirk that had developed at her partner's confidence in Jaune that she had witnessed when they helped Velvet. Shortly after hearing Ruby's chirpy exclamation, the cover hid how it swiftly perished.

It performed its job adequately as Ruby had become rather animated with the reminder of their field trip, bouncing on her heels. "They say that every inch of the forest is red and the leaves keep falling and never stop!"

"Hence _Forever Fall_," Weiss replied dryly. "It appears as if it's always autumn."

"But do they really keep falling forever?" Ruby questioned, attention on the ivory-haired girl. "I mean, if they do then wouldn't all the leaves eventually fall off? Do they instantly grow back or something? Wouldn't there be an ocean of leaves if that was the case? Where do they all go?"

Weiss dropped her brush and traded it for a palm that smacked against her forehead. "What are you, a kid?" Swiveling around in her chair, she admonished, "It's a figure of speech! If you paid attention to your geography you would know that Forever Fall extends for miles, taking up Vale's entire northern coast which becomes more mountainous the further you go. When you combine mountains and the coast you get…"

The bouncing came to a halt and her leader stared vacantly at her.

"…Wind," Weiss sighed, vexed. "A lot of wind." Sticking to a simpler route she explained, "A lot of wind with a lot of trees with a lot of leaves mean a lot of falling leaves to the point where it appears that they keep falling forever. They do grow back faster than normal but not instantly."

"Ooooh."

"Seriously." Weiss rubbed her temples. "That's like asking about the moon."

"Now that you mention it…" Ruby tapped her chin and stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Why does the moon look broken sometimes?"

"_Are you seriously ask-_ no." Weiss planted herself back into her chair, having been ready to launch out of it and potentially strangle the younger girl. "No, not when I've finished doing my hair." Without her brush she stuck to using her hand to smooth out any strands that may've gotten displaced.

"Doesn't your company own a railway line that goes through the forest?" Blake asked.

"As relieved as I am to see that one of us does pay attention, I don't see how that has anything to do with our trip." Collecting her mirror and brush, Weiss went to the foot of her bed to deposit them in one of her cases. "It runs deep within Forever Fall and I doubt we'll be going that far in since we'll be hiking it there on foot."

Blake shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just curious."

"I don't know why unless you like watching trains go by."

"…I do," Ruby quietly admitted.

Weiss used a bit more force than necessary to snap her suitcase shut at that. "I think we should be keeping watch over something more important like the Grimm in case you've forgotten. Besides, it hasn't gotten that much traffic in a while." She used that same amount of energy to toss the covers off to the side and drop onto her mattress, putting her back to her teammates before pulling them over her. "We leave early tomorrow so let's just get some rest."

"Trains or no trains, I'm still excited," Ruby insisted. "It's always fun to visit new and exciting places." Taking heed to her partner's want for sleep, the scythe-wielder went over and gripped the edge of her hanging bed. She paused as she was about to lift herself up and looked down at the heiress. "Goodnight, Weiss."

A grunt was the response.

Glancing over to her other two teammates, Ruby offered the same to them before she climbed up and disappeared behind the curtains of her bunk. Blake waited until her leader had settled in and then leaned over to slide her novel into the small bookshelf. When she was about to turn off the reading lamp on top that had served as their only source of light, the faunus stopped when there came a tap against her head.

Yang still sat at the edge of her bed and had made no move to get her feet out of the way so that Blake wouldn't bump into them as she just did. When the ninja looked up it was to see her partner looking down at her peculiarly. "What?"

Yang pursed her lips in a manner similar to her sister's, leading Blake to wonder if it was a family trait that they shared. After a shrug, the brawler rolled over and disappeared as she settled into bed. "Nothing. Goodnight, Blake."

Blake's brows knitted together as she scrutinized the space above her. When Yang didn't reappear or offer anything else, Blake decided not to pursue it. "Goodnight, Yang." She shut the lamp off and settled in for sleep. It proved to be evasive.

* * *

With them having been excused from their classes for the occasion of their field trip, there was very little else for them to worry about once morning came around other than to grab their gear and gather with the other selected teams within Beacon's courtyard. None of them dawdled though as if there was one thing they all knew it was that Glynda Goodwitch did not tolerate such delays nor did she allow them to go unpunished whether with a verbal reprimand or a threatening snap of her crop.

Going by the clock that one of Beacon's towers sported, they were a good twenty minutes early yet Professor Goodwitch was waiting for them with a spine that was as rigid as the air around her that refused to be swayed by their punctuality. It constantly gave off an impression that was uncompromising and no matter what a student may accomplish those light yet piercing shade of greens beneath those rectangular lenses would always find a fault that she would call attention to.

This went to her dress which appeared more for business than slaying monsters with how the black skirt was buttoned tight around her womanly curves and over that white suit with the puffy sleeves. It fell to her thighs where black stockings sheathed her legs at the space between the skirt and those calf-length boots with their high heels. Her platinum blonde hair was done up in a tight bun that kept it from any unruliness.

Her cape and the teal gems that hung from her ears and collar, however, carried a bit of medieval mysticism about them like everything else when it came to Beacon. Purple on the inside, black on the out, the cape had been purposely torn and designed with the strips of cloth shaped to twist and curl with a freedom that Goodwitch usually restricted. The outside was decorated with a line of brown, diamond-shaped beads and an emblem of a tiara had been sewn above them. It was the cape and how her weapon was collapsed and strapped to her leg that referred to her own awe-inspiring skill with Dust that gave justice to the name Nature's Wrath.

"I think she really cares deep down," Ruby had told them early on when Yang had been at the receiving end of a lecture when she made the mistake of trying to send a text message with her scroll during class. The textbook failed to hide her scroll and did an equally bad job of preventing the slap at her knuckles that had her device flying from her possession and into Glynda's which remained there for three days so that Yang may reflect on the proper use of school property. "She's like an old grandmother who always says 'this is for your own good' except she really means it."

"If you call her old or grandmother she'll kill you where you stand," her sister warned while she rubbed the reddened area of her hand. "Although she does pull off the look a bit too well."

"Having seen her fight, I don't doubt it."

That was something that Ruby went into great detail about. That methodical disposition of Glynda's – as critical as it can be – translated well when it came to that brief demonstration of her power which identified and took advantage of the environment to launch relentless attacks that, even when blocked, would be seamlessly followed-up with another that came at her opponent from a different angle.

"And she did watch out for me," Ruby pointed out. "When I think back on it, I get the feeling that the reason she was angry was mostly because she was worried that I could've gotten hurt."

Goodwitch hadn't forgotten about it either apparently. At Team RWBY's approach, she specifically singled out the youngest member. "Ah, Miss Rose. I'm glad to see you bestowing your team with a proper example of being at the right place at the right time."

"Someone gave me a valuable lesson on it," Ruby replied, smiling pleasantly at the older woman.

Glynda had as much authority over herself as she did with her classroom but even so Blake managed to distinguish a fraction of a second's delay before she replied, "Yes, well, see to it that you continue to uphold it."

It was the closest thing that any of them had heard to a compliment much less Glynda actually being caught off guard and Ruby recognized it as such when her smile widened by its own fraction. "I will."

Blake wondered if there was an ulterior motive for their professor choosing that moment to focus on her scroll while her free hand pushed those thin glasses up to the bridge of her nose. She couldn't blame her as it was hard to remain steadfast once Ruby got cute with you.

Yang gave Ruby a covert nudge. "Nice," she whispered.

"I see that JNPR is similarly prepared." There came a pause and a squint before Glynda added, "Most of them anyway."

Blake rotated around with the rest of her teammates to see three out of the four members coming up to them with Nora leading. The hyperactive girl wasn't letting the fact that their field trip had yet to begin prevent her from performing an exaggerated march with knees rising high while she pumped her arms. Ren dutifully followed her, composed as ever, but not so for Pyrrha who took to the rear and had her head turned as if searching for something. Or someone.

"That just leaves us with Mr. Arc and Team CRDL," Goodwitch checked off and her finger was probably doing the same on her scroll. "I trust that they won't keep us waiting." It was still early but she sounded dissatisfied.

Once Nora joined them, the girl became as straight as a rod before saluting sharply to their professor. Blake used the opportunity to step back to partially obstruct Ren's path to get his attention. "Nothing's improved?"

With Pyrrha acting as she was, the other boy in JNPR was the second best person to turn to when it came to getting a suitable explanation. Even when Blake didn't specify what it was she was asking about, Ren shook his head in negative. "Not at all. We hardly saw him last night."

Blake blinked at that. "Ruby bumped into him when he was right outside of our dorm. I assumed that he was with you guys."

Again Ren shook his head but this time looking perturbed with this latest intel. "We didn't see him until we woke up and found him sleeping in his bed. Whatever he was doing, he didn't come back until very late into the night and way after curfew."

That got Blake worried. Being ordered around by Cardin to do miscellaneous tasks was one thing but to disregard a school regulation that had him going to who knows where with his team not having any idea about it was beyond troubling. "How's Pyrrha holding up?"

"She had been particularly sullen even before this," Ren replied. "It began right after she waited for Jaune after Oobleck's class."

Blake remembered that Cardin had been forced to stay behind with Jaune too. "A connection?"

"I think a coincidence," Ren corrected, magenta eyes becoming unfocused as a sign of deep thought. "She was rather distressed but it seemed to be as much of a surprise to her as it was to us when we saw Jaune hanging around with Cardin. Later on she became irritated."

The armored Spartan in question, Blake saw, had joined them but remained off to the side from the gathering. Her hands were being wrung together in a clear sign of brooding when mixed with her lowered chin. "And now?"

Ren was examining Pyrrha worriedly as well. "Upset."

As much as Blake regretted not being able to assist the same team that had aided Velvet, the situation sounded more complicated than it appeared. If it was some escalated form of bullying it would be easy to solve but if the problem was rooted to some turmoil within the team itself then she had no idea how to approach this delicately.

It didn't appear as if it was going to be solved anytime soon either. Goodwitch brought up an antiquated wristwatch to check the time and the action was apparently enough to act as a summons that brought Team CRDL to the courtyard.

It went without saying that Blake and the others held no love for any arrangement that involved associating with the other team, hence RWBY and JNPR's mingling with each other while leaving CRDL out. Unfortunately, she suspected that the field trip was meant to do exactly that: a gathering of sap samples that would bring the first-year teams together with a joint venture in the middle of Grimm territory. She highly doubted its success.

Seeing the all-boy team and how they ignored the stumbling Jaune who was lugging a case with mysterious contents but heavy weight behind them was distasteful. The task was made even more difficult with how he was balancing several empty glass jars on top of the case – what they would be using to collect the sap from the trees of Forever Fall and what Professor Peach had supplied them all with.

Ren watched their approach grimly and even Nora's ever-present smile slipped. Pyrrha's distress grew and appeared as if she was about to go over and help Jaune but remained grounded and torn as if reluctantly following an unspoken order.

Goodwitch was as steely as ever. "I advise for improvement on timeliness, Mr. Winchester."

The muscular leader shrugged leisurely. "Come on professor, we're two minutes early."

"And since you've decided to grace us with your presence so expeditiously," she continued firmly, "I see no reason for us to linger any longer." With that, she turned and began their march with high-heels clicking upon the solid path of the courtyard while the ends of her cape beckoned for the students to follow her.

They fell in behind her, creating a vibrant mass of color considering their chosen style of clothing as they headed north. With Beacon situated up in the cliffs and its style of construction, the combat school flowed well into the rolling hills that bumped along the horizon. A step off the stone lane and a quarter of an hour of hiking had them reaching the apex of one that was high enough where, upon going down the other side, even Beacon's high towers would vanish behind it.

Just as they were about to venture over it, Blake paused. While the others walked around and ahead without her, the faunus peered back over at what had become her home. Her attendance had officially reached a month today and in that amount of time she had felt nothing but safety and contentment while living within its buildings.

She looked ahead. With her enhanced eyesight she could make out a line of red at the horizon that cut along the sea of green. Seeing it brought none of the feelings of security but a rising sense of dread.

She clamped down on it with the reasoning that she'll be fine. It had to have been long enough and she felt nothing when she had been sent plummeting into the Emerald Forest.

_It's just another forest and we're just filling jars of sap. There's nothing to be worried about._

So why did she turn around a second time towards Beacon with the wish that she could go back to her dorm right now?

_It's just another forest, _she thought again, this time with irritation that she directed at herself to use in an attempt to reclaim her nerve. _Get over it._

The others were going to notice if she delayed any longer as even Jaune was getting ahead of her. Cursing at herself, she hastened to catch up and managed to do so in time to snatch at one of the jars that tipped and rolled off the case while Jaune traversed down the steep hill. Ignoring his thanks, she silently placed it back and forced herself to keep moving.

She didn't notice how her fingers were twitching as soon as she let go of the jar.

* * *

The leaves let them know that they were getting close in the form of small clouds that scattered and sprinkled onto the ground where they flipped past the shoes and boots of the assembled trainees. Ruby became ecstatic, bending down to snatch a few of them as they went by to better scrutinize them as she turned them around in her hands. Despite how it was only the color that was different from the regular greens, she viewed them as if they were prized possessions.

Nora took it one step further, collecting them until she had two handfuls and then flinging them up in the air to create her own artificial rain that showered everyone upwind of her. A snap from Goodwitch put an end to their tomfoolery.

The patches of grass that matched the pigment preceded the first tree with limbs decorated with red foliage. Beyond that, the grass and leaves came together to form a carpet that welcomed the students of Beacon to Forever Fall.

"Yes, students," Glynda spoke when Ruby and Nora were joined with the other members of their respective teams to look around their surroundings in wonder, "the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sightsee." The last was enforced with a serious expression she sent over her shoulder. "Professor Peach has asked you to collect samples from deep within this forest and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

She stopped and turned to face them, bringing the entire band to a halt while she produced a jar of her own except this was filled with a liquid that matched the forest's hue. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm so be sure to stay by your teammates." She peeked at her watch. "We'll rendezvous back here at four o'clock."

Sweeping her gaze over her charges, that tough exterior actually cracked with a raised corner of her mouth. "Have fun."

The group took it as permission to separate into two smaller ones; RWBY taking one direction with the members of JNPR following them. Well, most of them as there came a tug of Jaune's hoodie that prevented him from following his teammates.

"Come on buddy," Cardin jeered cruelly. "Let's go."

Blake heard it but couldn't find it in her to worry about the blond boy's situation as she had to deal with an issue of her own: the hand that was shaking at her side.

She eventually noticed that errant twitching of her digits and had managed to bring them under control by stretching them as far as they would go until there was a pinch at the back of her hand that told her she was going too far. She folded them and flexed again and that seemed to do it.

If only it was so easy to block the paralyzing touch of that previous dread from traveling around her insides the deeper they went into Forever Fall. She focused on the presence of the gathered teams, listening to the crunching of their boots while concentrating on specific points to keep her mind occupied like Ruby's fluttering cape and the tip of Weiss's Myrtenaster that swayed behind her. That seemed to impede its progress.

When Goodwitch gave them the go-ahead, the teams scattering was like Blake's protective walls that blocked out Forever Fall crumbling all around her. That was when she realized that her hand was trembling. She gripped the white material of her shorts as she balled it into a fist to try and subdue it.

_Stop it, _she silently ordered. _There's nothing to worry about. _When she dared to relax, she was relieved to find that it had stilled. Wary but breathing a bit easier because of her success, Blake caught up with her team to find Ruby inspecting her chosen tree.

"So we hack open the tree and collect the sap that's inside," Ruby listed aloud, staring up at the high branches. Removing the folded block of metal at her back, the girl held it off to her side to allow a shaft to extend from it while the block itself unfolded to reveal the signature blade of Crescent Rose. "No sweat!"

"No, you dunce!"

Ruby had pulled back her scythe and was prepared to chop away until the loud voice had her freezing in place. She turned to the source, her signature pout on her face. "Weiss, you know I can do it! You've seen me chop down a tree before!"

"Don't remind me," the heiress grumbled. "But that's not what I meant. Just brazenly cutting down whatever tree you find is an inefficient way to collect sap and you'll be killing off the whole tree."

"There's a lot of trees here though," Ruby countered, gazing around to take in what had to be dozens that were within sight. "Would it really matter if we cut down one or two?"

"It's a waste!"

Blake chose to step in if only to keep her mind occupied with a task. "I think having a tree come crashing down might attract some Grimm, Ruby."

The reasoning did a better job of getting through to her leader who gave her target another look. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Here." Taking a knee, Blake drew Gambol Shroud before motioning Ruby to join her. Once she had her scythe planted and body crouched, the faunus gently placed the edge of her weapon against the bark. "You don't need to cut deep into it to get to the sap."

Ruby nodded, staring intently as Blake used the blade to scrape away at the bark that sent wood chips and shavings dropping to the ground. Considering that Gambol Shroud could cut through creatures of darkness and military-grade androids with ease, it was a simple matter for her to clear a few inches of space that revealed a section of wood that was lighter in color.

"Sapwood," Blake identified. "It's the part of the tree that transports all of the water and sap that's needed to keep it alive and growing. Tap into that and you let it and gravity do the work for you." She drove her blade in a bit deeper for emphasis.

"You sound pretty smart, Blake," Ruby complimented. She leaned forward to get a better look. "You and Weiss seem to know a lot about these things."

Blake chose not to respond. Her smaller weapon allowed her to carefully carve out an angular space that would let the lip of a jar fit comfortably. She gave Ruby some room. "Your jar."

Ruby popped open the lid and held the container against the cleared section just as the sap started to seep out. The red, sticky fluid slid down and then over the lip. Gathering at the bottom of the jar, it began to fill up at a rate that had Ruby commenting, "Wow, there's so much!"

"A lot of leaves mean a lot of sap," Blake replied, taking a page from Weiss's book. Her nose wrinkled as the strong scent entered her nostrils. "The trees here need it-" She broke off.

Her hand was shaking again.

_The sap made her fingers sticky and it clung to the back of her throat, leaving an unpleasant syrupy taste in her mouth that she unsuccessfully tried to rid herself of with a gulp. The hilt of her sword felt gummy to her touch, dirt and leaves clinging to it and her but she dare not let it distract her from the beasts that her ears could detect the approach of. She caught a silhouette that was there and then gone again._

The scent that offended her sense of smell became overpowering as more of the sap flowed out from the wood and was collected in the jar. Ruby kept her attention on her task, not even registering how Blake had gone quiet or how the faunus was stepping away to put as much distance as she could from her leader.

It was a futile effort. The smell of the red sap was heavy in the air, the reason for it being how everyone else was collecting their own samples whether by following her example or because they had known the proper way. Ren had used the blades of StormFlower to carve into his own tree and just finished filling one jar which he handed to Nora before bringing up another empty container to do the same. Pyrrha and Weiss were clearing out the bark with their own weapons, revealing the sapwood that would soon be bleeding.

Blake held her breath but not before getting another whiff that had her gagging. She was beginning to feel queasy and lifting a hand to her nose and mouth reminded her of how it was trembling so violently.

She stepped further away, not just from Ruby but from everyone else as she became driven with a powerful urge to leave. She didn't want to be seen like this, not by them. They'd ask what was wrong and she didn't know what to tell them, couldn't even _think_ of what to tell them when that scent was everywhere and she just wanted to leave and get control of herself.

She turned around so as to avoid one of them turning and seeing how ill she knew she probably looked while keeping her shaking hand in front of her, out of sight. She didn't move too quickly despite how she just wanted to run with the knowledge that she may make too much noise and they'll come searching for her anyway.

She just needed a few minutes. A few minutes away from the sap that invoked too many daunting memories.

Blake removed them from her sight but a bit more speed-walking was required before she stopped smelling the sap. Once she was in the clear, she took deep breaths of untainted air in order to quell her rising disgust. Her hand, however, continued shaking and all she could do was observe the tremors that coursed through the appendage.

…It figured. After all she had been through, after all she had been forced to experience due to the discrimination brought on by others, what would end up traumatizing her was what she had inadvertently done to herself.

She tried curling her fingers together to form a tight fist but it proved to be ineffective this time. She grasped it with her other hand, squeezing it before bringing it close to her chest. The trembling was transferred over to her other limb. Wanting to get off her feet, Blake sat down before leaning back against a trunk that had its bark intact.

One mistake. A single oversight that had turned what should've been a clean getaway into a frightening fight for her life with her being the only person to blame for it.

When she had fallen from the train, not all was lost. She could've just stuck to the tracks whether to wait for another to hitch a ride on or, if she had to, follow them to civilization on foot. All that she would've wasted was a day or two at most.

She hadn't stuck to the tracks. She had been out of her mind. That sloppy severing of the bond had left her irrational with the sole desire that got her up and staggering away from her marker within this wilderness was to find this piece of herself that was missing. She didn't know how she was going to do it, didn't even know where to begin. All she knew was that it wasn't at the tracks.

And like she told Ruby, she ended up lost for quite a while.

She couldn't regain her bearings. The sickness at her heart and the wounding of her soul had robbed her of all perception. The hunger, the thirst, the exhaustion, and the Grimm nearly took away her sanity. The sap helped and hindered her; giving minor sustenance in exchange for an attraction of the Grimm. As the days and nights passed, there came the very real possibility that she was about to relinquish her life to this forest.

That blessed hearing of hers that alienated her from society saved her life. The babbling of a brook served to snap her out of the gloom. Drinking pure water cleared her mind and cleansing herself from the sticky hold of the red sap freed her in more ways than one. When she stood, rejuvenated, it was with every intention to persevere and establish that new life that had set her on this course. Ultimately, she left the forest and didn't look back.

_Only to have that new life force me to return to where I left behind all my troubles, _she thought sourly. She had believed that the months in Vale were enough and that the one in Beacon had gotten her over what had happened. Obviously, she believed wrong.

Removing her hand from her chest it was to see that, gratefully, it had finally stilled. How long that would last she didn't know but it was best to make the most out of it. _I need to collect my own sample._

She stood up, brushing off her clothes while establishing another plan. She could collect some sap out here away from the others. By the time she filled her jar and returned they should be done and if another episode was to occur she could deal with it herself.

A slight frown sullied her features as she took a gander around. As quick as it was for her retreating from the group, she wasn't a hundred percent sure as to what direction she should go to return to them. She had an idea but…

She stepped away from the tree that she leaned against. She had come from – she twisted around – that way. Even if it wasn't an exact retracing of her steps she should be able catch a sign of the others as long as she was close enough. To be on the safe side, she should locate them to be sure before she went about her task. The last thing she wanted was to get lost again.

_I couldn't have gone that far, _she reasoned as she moved with eyes and ears open for any sign of the others. _It was just enough to get away from the smell._ Yet even the scent of the sap didn't come to her after a few seconds of walking. _It's fine; just a bit more than I expected._

There was still nothing and the faunus became aware of that previous sense of dread steadily clawing its way up. _There's nothing to be worried about. Even if I don't know where they are I just need to go south and I'll find them. I have my scroll too so I can contact them if it comes to that._

She looked to her left. _There's nothing to-_

The sensation shot out from the depths of her lower belly, streaking past her lungs which froze at its passing. It reached out for her heart, seizing the organ before squeezing. What breath remained fled and Blake dare not try to replenish it.

_…No._

It was a noticeable gap within the great expanse of Forever Fall. It made it easier to see what had attracted her gaze as if a magnet. The dull color of the stone clashed harshly with the bright tint of the forest, causing it to stand out the same way it jutted out from the ground.

A boulder in the middle of a forest clearing.

Blake was barely aware of how her head shook slowly to visibly express the denial over what she was seeing. Her lungs were beginning to burn and it granted them the ability to break out of the immobilizing hold to fill themselves with a heavy load of oxygen. The renewed functioning of one organ restarted the other. The grip on her heart lasted for a few pounds but even when it pulled away her heart kept going within her chest at a frantic rhythm.

_It's not the same, _she mentally rejected, eyes remaining glued on the center of the clearing. _It's not the same. It can't be._

Forever Fall extended for miles, just like Weiss said. It was huge. To expect to run into the same clearing with the same boulder, the odds were too numerous to chart. They hadn't even gone that deep into the forest so they couldn't have possibly made it all the way out here. The mountains were still a ways off.

Forests were allowed to have more than one clearing. They could have more than one boulder and this one wasn't even in the center as it was more to the side. It didn't have the split in the middle either. It was different.

The leaves fell as they did back then though, showering the area and that large rock. She had watched them drifting in the wind from her seat, comparing their journey to her own. Now seeing them was inspiring this terror that she couldn't understand why was plaguing her because this _wasn't the same._

She barely had a moment to notice how not one but _both_ hands were shaking at her sides before there came the rustling of vegetation. Without thinking she was whirling around to face the noise, unintentionally stepping into the clearing. She desperately searched for the source but didn't find it.

Her heart kept going and going, beating heavily beneath her breast. It was thumping so strongly that she swore she could feel every line and contour as it worked against her. It let her feel another thing: an empty, hollow space that felt dead when compared to the liveliness that the rest of the organ advertised.

There came additional noise and Blake was taking another step with another whipping of her head. Her breathing was fast and shallow as if hoping to match the pacing and she couldn't stop the frenzied movements of her pupils that vainly attempted to find whatever it was that was out here with her.

Or whoever. Deep within that void came a wish, a _need_; a yearning to reclaim what had gone missing and what had left her alone…so alone.

_…Adam?_

The name horrified her as it crossed her mind and whiplash was becoming a possibility with the constant shaking of her head. _Not Adam, he's gone! He wasn't there when you searched for him and he isn't here now! It's been months and you're better without him!_

She caught a silhouette in time with another stirring from the surrounding woodland. She didn't make out what it was but it was big. Too big to be any human or faunus.

_It's not him._

Her hand enveloped the cool, solid weight that was her trusted weapon's hilt. It was still trembling.

_It's not him. He's gone and you don't want him back. It's _not_ him._

At the crunching of leaves directly behind her, the faunus spun around, ripping Gambol Shroud from her back to bring the sharpened steel with her.

"Woah!"

The cry and flash of gold, out of place but familiar, got Blake to freeze in mid-swing.

Yang stood in front of her, balancing on the one foot that she had slid back in response to Blake's sudden turn. She had an arm raised and while Ember Celica did not activate to encase it, the brawler had positioned the armored bracelet so that it would've been able to block Gambol Shroud had Blake not halted her attack. As it was, the blade fell short of connecting and remained hovering in place.

Eyes wide and unblinking, Yang slid them from Gambol Shroud to Blake. When she was sure the danger passed she dropped her arm and glared at her partner. "What the _hell_, Blake?"

Blake did blink and mimicked looking at the blonde and then glancing at her weapon. Remembering what she had been doing, the faunus turned her back on Yang.

"Blake, wha-?"

"There's something out here," she interrupted, sincerely wanting to find whatever it was she had seen and distract the brawler for a few seconds to let her recover.

Yang didn't say anything else and after a moment she was standing alongside Blake to survey the perimeter of the clearing. It encouraged Blake to search the area carefully, slowly sweeping around to spot anything unusual while both pairs of ears listened for potential danger. Whereas before there had been plenty of commotion that had put the faunus in such a state, as of now she couldn't hear or see anything out of place at all.

"You sure you saw something?" Yang queried after a while, sounding doubtful.

"I…did," Blake replied but her hesitance betrayed her uncertainty. She was positive that there had been something other than her partner prowling around but with there being nothing but the natural sights and sounds of the forest it must've wandered off somewhere. That or maybe Blake really did imagine it.

"I suppose I'll have to take your word for it. You don't usually let people sneak up on you like that."

The faunus found herself tensing at the accusatory tone of the blonde. When she turned her head it was to see Yang with a brow quirked. She was frowning and Blake wondered if she was displeased with her. Blaming the near miss for it, Blake returned Gambol Shroud to its resting place.

"There was something out there," she insisted, starting to feel a bit annoyed at the disbelieving blonde which had her pulling away from her side.

There was a pause and what Yang murmured next probably wasn't meant for human ears but faunus ones caught it nonetheless. "A lot of excuses though…"

Blake managed to stop her shoulders from springing up but her irritation built up all the same. She moved further away from the blonde to get some more space between them. At the very least, her hands had stopped shaking and her irritability alleviated her breathing and subdued her heart. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I actually came to find you to ask for your help." Yang produced her glass jar with one hand, the lid in the other. The container was empty but when Blake inspected it she saw splotches of red sap that was stuck to the inside. "Nora kind of sampled my sample when I was distracted. I swear, that girl has a sweet tooth that's worse than Ruby's. She said she saw you go this way."

Her partner's tone became lighter but it and the humor did little to lessen her annoyance. Seeing and smelling the hint of a trigger had Blake wishing that Yang would leave her alone. "Why ask me for help? "

Gratefully, Yang popped the lid back into place to seal the jar and cut off the subtle aroma of the leftover fluid. With one hand now free she flicked her wrist to bring Blake's attention to that same golden bracelet. "I don't exactly have the proper tools for collecting any and I'm sure a blast may attract some unwanted attention."

Sound reasoning but that didn't explain why Yang had to bother her. Hoping to convince her to return to the others, Blake said, "You don't have to ask me for assistance. I'm sure Ruby can properly show you how to collect some."

Yang conceded a nod but didn't make any move to go away. If anything, how she kept one hand at her hip while the other had the jar tucked at her side transmitted how she wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon. "True, but Ruby isn't the one I want to talk to."

"Why do you want to talk to me?"

The blonde paused, all sense of joy and joking vanishing as she regarded Blake with another frown. This one didn't seem angry though; more like disappointed that the faunus had asked such a question. "Because you don't talk."

Blake had gone far enough into the clearing that when she stopped it was with the boulder within reach. "I don't know what you mean," she replied curtly. She knew she was lying. "I talk."

Yang knew it too. "No, you don't."

Blake didn't deign the allegation with an answer as any would be a worthless effort. Behind her she heard nothing from the blonde, her partner appearing willing to wait for whatever Blake may choose to go with instead. She suspected it to be another excuse.

Yang's patience wasn't up to the task though. "I'm not stupid, Blake."

The faunus knew she wasn't but she _was_ proving to be meddlesome. Out of all the times Yang would decide to approach her, she had decided on the worst possible moment to do so and with a tone that made Blake feel guilty. Most of the time the blonde was laid-back and outgoing; keeping things light and upbeat even when fighting. When it came to Ruby and certain others, Yang would become the protective older sibling who doted on them.

Then there were those rare moments like the one with the Ursi and Dove; instances that brought out the raging inferno that dwelled within her and would consume those bright lavenders with scorching crimson. By no means did Blake want to be at the receiving end of such a thing and hoped that she would get away from ever experiencing it.

The disappointment that had marred Yang's smooth features and tinged her voice was proving to be a contender though. There was no anger; a hint of frustration , a side of exasperation, but nothing as harsh. In fact, the blonde almost sounded a bit…hurt.

Yet Blake couldn't find it in her to say anything. Keeping her back to Yang, the faunus idly traced a nail along the solid surface of the boulder. It was an activity to get the seconds flying faster with the intention that getting enough of them wasted would convince Yang that she was doing the same with her time and would leave.

There was a sigh but by no means was it for defeat. "I've noticed it. Out of all the friends we've made, I've come to know so much more about them in a month than I do about my own partner." Blake didn't offer an affirmative or a denial which Yang took as permission to go further with, "When I try to, there always seems to be something that comes up or you're too busy with a book."

"Yang," Blake spoke. "I really don't want to talk about this right now."

"Funny because I consider right now to be perfect. You can't run away, you didn't bring a book to hide behind, and we still have about an hour before we have to meet up with Goodwitch. Not that I plan on using the whole amount."

She said it but Blake was tempted to give running a try anyway as, out of all of them, Yang was the slowest of the team in exchange for being a powerhouse. Such a strategy would hurt more than help in the long run though.

Seeing Blake remaining where she was and hearing no other objections, Yang continued, "You've told me you were trained by someone but have never said who. You say you have no family or other friends here but you haven't said who or where they are either. What you do tell me about Atlas I can't help but feel like you're holding things back."

The nail persisted in its attempt at carving a mark into the durable stone and the pressure increased with each point that Yang ticked off.

"…Is Blake Belladonna even your real name?"

That Blake couldn't ignore as she finally faced Yang to give her a glare. "Of course it is!"

The brawler had a hand already up as if expecting the heated response. There was a short grin meant to say that she didn't really mean that last one but the disappointment was still there. "At least I don't have to worry about that." She dropped both of them. "Look, it's not just me; you've been pretty distant with all of us for a while now and we've noticed. I was willing to give you some space but now there's this whole thing with Jaune and I want to make sure you're not about to do something as crazy."

"I am _not _going to be friends with Cardin Winchester!" Blake responded with conviction and an angry edge. Did Yang really think she would do something like that?

"I wasn't thinking you'd do that specifically," Yang replied as if reading her thoughts. "Although none of us expected Jaune to do it either. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I would like to establish some better trust between us and you've been pretty reluctant to share anything."

The anger abated enough to return to mild irritation but even that lost its strength at Yang's wishes and how the blonde tilted her head as if expecting Blake to say something. However, she still didn't say anything. She _couldn't_. She had sworn that never again would she make that mistake that held such consequences like the ones she was currently experiencing in the presence of this forest. Once was bad enough but if it she ended up going through a repeat…

She couldn't do it. No matter how much better her new life seemed to be she wouldn't let it deceive her so easily. If it meant keeping her friends in the dark, to never get them to fully trust her, she could live with that.

"…And I think I know why."

The faunus blinked at that before looking at the blonde quizzically.

"It's partly my fault I guess," Yang continued, scratching the back of her head. She no longer appeared disappointed. To Blake's shock, she seemed to be expressing regret. "I've been talking to Ren and Nora a lot and was saying how cool that whole bond thing is but I haven't been taking your feelings into consideration. When you told us about your friend that day…I can't imagine what that must've been like and I assume that it might be why you've been unwilling to say that much about yourself."

She wouldn't know how accurate her theory was but that wasn't what was surprising Blake. She was the one who was supposed to be taking all the blame and yet Yang was making it sound as if it was her that was at fault.

"It's not you, Yang," Blake replied awkwardly. "My friend…" She paused, sighed, and lowered her head while her shoulders receded. "That thing with my friend _is _a reason but there are…" She found herself floundering, balancing on that line that divided too much and too little information. "There are others…not necessarily linked to but it is a factor and…"

"I can understand that," Yang spoke again, perhaps quicker than necessary. "I can understand why it or anything else that may've happened would make it harder for you to trust people, especially enough to form a bond with someone. Honestly though, I'm fine if we never do it but I still want to establish a more trusting relationship between us."

Blake couldn't believe what she was hearing and was slightly startled to find that she had taken a seat on the boulder with how put off she was at Yang's attitude. She was actually _worried_ about her. What she was saying and what concerned her was not how Blake was purposely withholding things from her but how _she _may be causing her to hold back information about herself.

She instinctively fell back on that excuse that she was disguised as a human but that defense proved to be weak when she remembered what happened to Velvet. Velvet was a faunus and she had been in trouble but Yang had actively found her and protected her, going farther to invite her to their table so she wouldn't have to deal with Cardin and his band.

Yang was doing all of this because she _cared_. Even if she knew about her heritage, if Blake had to be honest with herself she didn't think this conversation would be going that much differently.

"I want to prove that you can trust me Blake, but I guess to do that I need to trust you. So I'm going to tell you something about myself."

"You've told me a lot about yourself already," Blake replied. She may've been holding back on a lot of things but when it came to Yang she knew a lot about her such as her time at Signal, what her favorite foods are, her motorcycle that she hadn't been allowed to bring with her but had affectionately named Bumblebee, and some rather embarrassing stories concerning Ruby such as her Beowolf-themed pajamas having included a stuffed Beowolf that she had named Mr. Woofles.

Yang had taken to entering the clearing, steadily approaching Blake. "Yeah, but this one's going to be a secret." She stopped in front of the faunus and ran a hand through her mane of golden hair to give it an attention-grabbing bounce. "You wonder why I'm so protective of my hair?"

"I can't say I have," Blake admitted. As uncomfortable as it made her to have Yang contributing more information about herself, she was intrigued. She had never given much stock in her partner's hair, having assumed that it was just her being vain. Sure, one strand tended to invoke pure rage and potential destruction of the landscape along with Yang's target but she never thought much of it.

"Not many do," Yang replied with a smirk. She set her jar on the ground and soon followed after it, resting against the side of the boulder so that Blake had to look down at her. "Truth is is that it's tied to my Aura. We have our weapons, Dust, and other tools that allow us to channel our Aura but, for me, my hair acts as a focus just as well."

Blake listened with interest. It was a lesson and one that students learned long before coming to Beacon. Along with the construction of their weapons, up and coming Huntsmen and Huntresses were taught how to let their Aura flow into their weapons that act as an extension of themselves. Doing so allowed them to perform as they did no matter how complex the weapon may be such as her Gambol Shroud. Using the ribbon tied to it and the pistol's recoil may seem chaotic but, with her Aura running through it, it gave her an awareness that allowed her to predict and control it so easily as if it were another limb. The same concept applied to Dust where an individual's Aura can shape its power into spells that they can direct.

But the soul and its energies were tied to the body first and foremost and Yang was one who took the most pride in it with Ember Celica being a weapon that relied heavily on the muscles and movements of her hand-to-hand fighting style more than anyone else. It was her Aura and Semblance that changed her physical appearance just as drastically with a shifting eye color and flaming hair. If Blake had to compare it to something it'd be like those who chose to mark their armor and clothing with sigils made of powdered Dust but much more personal.

"So the longer your hair…" Blake began.

"The more I can focus," Yang finished, pleased. "And if it's cut it makes it harder for me to draw out and control as much." She shrugged. "This is not to say that I'll be crippled or anything serious like that but I would feel…diminished. Besides, even if that wasn't the case, how could I let something this beautiful go to waste?" The last was reinforced with another bounce to her mane.

Blake understood what her partner was doing: she was confiding a weakness to her. It wasn't much of one from the sounds of it but it was a weakness all the same.

A weakness that she was entrusting to _Blake_; a partner who was remaining so distant yet she was offering it to her in an attempt to bring her in.

But Blake was still hesitant. It was the most that anyone has ever given to her – not to mention a _human _doing so – yet she was resisting the pull. Was Yang just doing this so she would be inclined to offer up something just as personal?

She could say that she was a faunus. Right here, right now, she could say it and she doubted anything would change other than having gained Yang's trust and perhaps the trust of everyone else. Yang, Ruby, and JNPR have all proven to hold no prejudice views against the faunus and she doubted that they would reject her. Even if Weiss did object she would be outnumbered and maybe she would eventually accept her.

…A good ending for a fairy tale.

They can accept a faunus but can they accept a criminal? A terrorist who had belonged to a group that is known for causing so much havoc and so much death? She could argue that it had once been peaceful, that the worst she had ever done was take part in boycotts, but she didn't let it end there.

Four years. Not a day or a week or a month or one year but four. She can't say that she had the hindsight to quit when she was ahead, that she understood what was happening and left right at the beginning. There were faunus who had quit the group after the change but not her. No, when she had quit it was with a contribution to four years of violence and terror no matter how young and naïve she had been.

The real world went like this: she'll tell them, leave out the White Fang or not it didn't matter as someway, somehow, she'll be recognized or be linked to them anyway possibly because of how she had lied about being a faunus. As a human she remained obscure but as a faunus she would get more attention. The latest child of the Schnee family – the number one opponent of the White Fang - or someone else would get suspicious and uncover the truth.

And then everything and everyone in her life will turn against her for a second time.

So she didn't say a word. She sat on that boulder with the intention of remaining tight-lipped until Yang understood that no matter how much goodwill she may hand out, Blake can never tell her anything about her previous life.

Her partner shocked her once again. Hardly any time had passed – definitely not enough for Blake to make up her mind - before Yang was speaking again. "I'm not trying to guilt you into telling me anything otherwise that wouldn't have had any meaning. If you ever want to tell me anything, I just want you to know that I'm willing to listen whenever that will be." She smiled up at Blake. "But, if it's not too much to ask, I'm fine with being considered as your friend instead."

…All because of one rash, stupid, foolish, _idiotic _mistake.

But she will cherish this as long as she can. She was pretending to be a human but she truly enjoyed the life that it granted her and she would enjoy spending time with the friends she was making here. So when Yang extended a hand up towards her, Blake closed hers around it and offered a tiny smile that hid so much. "Sure."

"Well, great!" Yang shot up to her feet with her jar, reenergized. "Then would a friend help a friend in getting some sap?"

The smile became a grin and Blake rolled her eyes before repeating, "Sure."

With Yang leading, the two of them settled down at a tree that they identified as being a bit taller than the rest. With Yang at her side, Blake began to strip off the bark in order for them to retrieve the sap.

It may be because of the subject matter but with her partner's proximity, Blake took note of a scent that exuded from her. She didn't know why she never noticed it before – maybe Yang used a different shampoo than the one with the picture of the swordsman -, but Blake detected a sweet fragrance that a quiet sniff identified as coming from Yang's hair; a few strands of which happened to brush her arm while she worked. It was strong but not overpowering, not like the sap. It was a fruity, honeyed aroma that reminded Blake of plums.

She found that she liked it. When the sap did start flowing, she concentrated on it and it became easier to prevent her hands from trembling.

* * *

_Ugh, this is never going to come out, _Weiss silently complained as she scrubbed harder with her handkerchief. She dug with the nail of her thumb to better scratch at the offending spot but when she pulled away it was to see a faint but noticeable blemish that persisted and a probe came back with an equally slight stickiness that had her turning her handkerchief on her finger with better results.

Her determined enemy remained infallible and how it stood out on the pale fabric of the sleeve of her jacket could – in Weiss's mind – be best described as mocking. She had been scrubbing and scratching at the accidental stain for a good minute yet she hadn't been able to erase its existence. By no means did she consider this a failure on her part though. _Dust it all, why are we out here anyway?_

She disliked this specific element of Beacon's education. Give her an exam or an intellectual problem to stimulate her brain and she'll solve it even if nine out of ten of them proved to hardly be a challenge. Nonetheless, her relative ease when it came to answering such obvious questions at least served to acquire the admiration – and maybe jealousy – of her peers.

Duels and other demonstrations of her combat prowess accomplished the same thing. While she had to resign herself to participating in such contests against foes who lacked such elegance and grace that came with her own swordsmanship, there was the satisfaction to be had when their unsightly assaults were easily turned away by swift parries or a stylish show of agility that would leave them exposed to the pointed tip of Myrtenaster or a Dust spell that flung them over the boundaries of the arena. When her opponents happened to be the Grimm, it worked to further present that Schnee talent prevailed against humanity's greatest foes.

What she was incapable of finding worthwhile other than that her professors ordered her to do it, however, was this latest field trip. Yes, she supposed there was the fact that there were Grimm in the area but their scarcity did nothing to distract her from what she was really doing: taking a walk through the woods and filling a jar with sap.

_Weiss Schnee: the Great Reclaimer of Tree Sap._ Not exactly a title meant to be imbued with a sense of pride with the same being said to the task itself. _What does Professor Peach even need all these samples for anyway? _

With the many generations of Huntsmen and Huntresses that have come out of Beacon, you'd think that there had been numerous opportunities beforehand for one of them to be sent out on such an unworthy task and spare the heiress from performing it. The speculation as to what laudable goal that their scholarly quest giver had in mind with the samples did little to ease Weiss's grievances as the few that she could think of sounded relatively meager whether it be identifying the genetic makeup that was responsible for the forest's appearance or why certain specimens of the Grimm were attracted to the fluid.

_Maybe it'll be used later to bait some Grimm; Professor Port hasn't replaced his Boarbatusk yet._ That was intended as a joke but, oddly enough, it interrupted Weiss's efforts to vanquish her red and sticky nemesis for a brief moment. _Well, capturing instead of killing a Grimm _can _be considered as a more impressive feat I guess._

Logic dictated that that shouldn't make this task any less undeserving of her but thinking about the elderly man and how this may aid him – although the odds say that that probably wasn't it – did assuage her. She wasn't sure what persuaded her to be so willing to give that extra effort when it came to that specific course and the teacher who taught it but ever since that first day she's had this unexplainable incentive to do better if only to redeem herself for how rude she had been to Port and how he had helped her get over her problems with Ruby despite that.

_Speaking of whom… _Willing to concede this minor skirmish to the stain on her clothing with the prospect of winning the war once they got back to Beacon, Weiss looked around to see if she could spot that leader of hers but not before throwing a glance over to make sure that her jar not only remained at her side but was still full. _I've got more than one wily foe out here._

The biggest danger that JNPR and RWBY had come to worry about was a certain orange-haired hammer-wielder. It had taken the disappearance of two samples before Ren secured his and Nora's from his partner's craving for the sweet syrup but that didn't stop her. Devoid of shame, she had turned on the others by gulping down Yang's when she had been distracted by Ruby and went back to debilitating her own team by taking Pyrrha's. By then everyone was making sure to keep one eye on their respective samples.

She didn't see that Valkyrie girl and while that did generate some distress, Weiss reasoned that if she kept her jar close to her side she'd be able to see her coming and stop her. Tucking it tightly under one arm for good measure, Weiss searched for Ruby. There was Ren…Pyrrha…Yang had gone off to get another sample away from Nora and Weiss had no idea where Blake had disappeared to but she was more Yang's responsibility anyway.

_Of course we'd come to the one place where red is an effective camouflage, _Weiss thought with exasperation. As impractical as that cloak seemed to be - especially when it came to getting caught on things - it was a signature of Ruby's that she stubbornly refused to rid herself of and one that did make it easy for Weiss to spot her.

Despite the environment, that cloak helped her locate Ruby in the end. While it would allow Ruby to blend in here, it would work a lot better if the scythe-wielder kept it from flapping around. Weiss snapped her gaze to the movement that was only a few meters away and went towards it.

The cloth was partially hidden behind the thick trunk of a tree but even with it there came a twitch at Weiss's brow when she saw how low and how restricted it was as if it were being pressed against the wood. The fencer suspected the reason for it which became valid when she saw those stretched out legs before bringing Ruby entirely into her view.

While one portion of the cape was free to flap in the wind at her side, the rest was folded over Ruby's form and covering most of her body save for her legs. The hood was raised but enough so that it acted as a thin safeguard that kept her hair and the back of her head from directly touching the rough bark which rested against it. Her face was bare and Weiss could see how her eyes were closed as if asleep.

Weiss stifled what was becoming a small reflex to snap at her partner that had developed during the past month. In making good on her promise to be the best teammate, the heiress had graciously assisted her young leader when it came to her studies. It proved that she needed it as Ruby had showed to be quite inept when it came to her academics.

_Okay, _Weiss admitted, _that was a bit harsh. _Ruby wasn't inept per se but Weiss had quickly found it to be a challenge with how a lot of their lessons had a habit of flying over her head instead of sticking to her. Really, sometimes she found it impossible to get Ruby to just sit down and focus as a testament to the inattentiveness that came with being a girl of fifteen. It led to an aggravating first week.

But it _was _a first week that, looking back on it, Weiss understood that Ruby was trying with an effort to return the favor. The biggest obstacle was getting a hang of the various courses and while Ruby struggled to balance them out and many of her answers tended to be wrong when Weiss quizzed her, she was struggling to do so all the same. On top of that she did have special classes meant to develop her leadership skills and Weiss's ire lost steam on multiple occasions when a slumped Ruby was actually a fatigued Ruby rather than a negligent one.

It was the same here. Seeing Ruby resting as she was had Weiss standing still as she inspected her partner. If the heiress was honest with herself, this peaceful side of Ruby and how the surroundings matched her chosen dress was endearing. A leaf that had landed in her hair blended well with those streaks of red that went through her otherwise black strands.

Hard to believe that this girl is such a strong and capable Huntress-in-training. Ruby may come up short with her studies but when it came to fighting she was the prodigy that Weiss recognized her to be. For such a wild form of combat when it came to that oversized scythe of hers, Ruby had handily dominated both fellow trainees and the Grimm during her time here.

And she _was_ getting better with said studies. Once she got a handling of her classes and their subjects, those study sessions have turned out to become less of a strain on Weiss's patience. The heiress just wished that she would work to keep on improving instead of developing a tendency for loitering as she has been doing lately. She was becoming a Huntress for crying out loud. Deciding that she had let Ruby do enough of that here, Weiss stepped forward in order to wake her.

There came a shift originating from beneath Ruby's cloak at the same time her eyes snapped open and darted over to Weiss with an alertness that startled the white-haired girl. It vanished when her team leader recognized her and smiled brightly. "Hey, Weiss! For a second I thought you were Nora trying to sneak up on me."

Hearing the other girl's name had Weiss checking under her arm. Yep, still full. Relieved, Weiss looked back at Ruby. "I guess you still have your sample then."

Ruby nodded and she lifted her cape just enough for Weiss to see the glass of the container that was hidden beneath it. "The same one that I first collected with Blake's help," she proclaimed proudly.

Which had been after she nearly started felling some trees. Weiss chose to not bring that up. "Good. Since we have ours we should meet up with Goodwitch and hand them over."

Instead of agreeing, Ruby frowned in response. "Already? I just checked the time; we should have over thirty minutes left until four!"

"So we'll be over thirty minutes early," Weiss replied, not understanding Ruby's objection. "Come on."

Ruby's expression and position didn't change. She shook her head. "Nope."

The heiress blinked. "Nope?"

"Nope!" Ruby repeated, brighter this time as her frown performed a reversal. "We have thirty minutes and we're going to use them to relax."

"Or…" Weiss began, trying to be diplomatic and patient. "We can go to Goodwitch early and become better students in her eyes."

"Mmmm…" The younger girl scrunched up her face as if seriously contemplating Weiss's suggestion before chirping, "Nope!"

Weiss's palm slapped against her forehead, clearly not amused. Such childish displays were also making a comeback if last night and now was an indication. That thing with the trains and, seriously, asking about the moon told her just how much of a dunce that Ruby can be when Huntressing wasn't involved. "Why, pray tell, would you want to waste our time here?"

"Well it's either here or with Goodwitch," Ruby replied. "What are we going to do if we rendezvous with her? We're going to have to wait until four o'clock anyway as I doubt we'll be leaving without the others and do you expect everyone to be that early?"

By everyone Weiss assumed she meant that bunch of clowns known as CRDL if this morning was any indication. They were probably sitting on their butts right now, having yet to collect their sap if she had to guess and as much as she may put-down Jaune, the heiress had held him with enough regard to think that he wouldn't be reduced to their trained monkey. She could only wonder what's going on in Pyrrha's head right now.

Weiss refused to be dissuaded as, even if Ruby brought up a fair point, she didn't see how it invalidated her opinion to meet up with their professor. "But if we go to Goodwitch everything can be said and done."

"Tell ya what." Ruby straightened up against the trunk, lazily brushing off the leaf in her hair while her cape settled back over to hide her jar. "We'll compromise." Ignoring the fencer's risen brow she continued, "We'll relax here for fifteen minutes and then we can go to the rendezvous point with plenty of time to spare unless you really want to head to Goodwitch without me."

_Clever girl, _Weiss commented. The wry grin that Ruby had told her that her leader knew just how much that Weiss didn't want to return alone. It was partly due to her promise to be the best teammate but there was also the staffs' stress on teamwork. Weiss could imagine the criticism that Goodwitch would send her way when she reported in alone.

"I'll even send a call to Blake and Yang to get them to turn in with us."

Weiss glowered at the younger girl as she raised the stakes but it held little vehemence as the heiress mentally went over the offer. Turn in half an hour early alone or wait fifteen minutes and do so with the whole team and gain any praise that came with it. Ruby's adamancy about not getting up from the ground implied that any attempts at negotiations were destined to be wasted.

As annoying as it was, Weiss admitted that she was slightly impressed. A month ago she wouldn't have considered Ruby to be this clever and probably would've expected her to throw a childish tantrum in protest akin to their squabbling back in the Emerald Forest. Yet here that child was now. While the heiress still believed that her idea was better, this compromise that Ruby was offering was compelling despite how her leader's previous 'Nopes!' were far from that.

"Fine," Weiss accepted but with narrowed eyes to make it clear that she wasn't doing it because she liked it.

Ruby didn't seem to mind. Pleased with her minor victory, the girl scooted over and patted the vacant space of grass.

That was asking too much and the heiress didn't need to add grass stains to her skirt. Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, her container of sap in between them. "I'll stand."

"We've been walking and standing all day," Ruby countered and patted the spot a second time. "It's more relaxing to sit down."

"I agreed to wait fifteen minutes." Weiss cocked her head and turned her wrist enough to see the watch hidden beneath her sleeve. She didn't want to waste a second. "We didn't set any guidelines as to how I would do so."

Ruby gave her one of her trademark pouts but chose to forego any of her own efforts to alter their deal. After a shrug she rested her head back against the tree while singing, "If you say soooo."

There came that twitch again but Weiss didn't make any other kind of response as she stood unwaveringly. Ruby said nothing else and, true to herself, had her feet moving back and forth while she lounged around. Weiss found herself watching the swaying toes of her partner's boots for what she figured was a minute but when she took a glance at her watch she saw that barely twenty seconds had gone by.

Twenty seconds and she was already regretting her decision. Fifteen minutes hadn't sounded like much but Weiss hadn't understood how this whole standing still thing could distort time as it was doing when there was nothing to distract her. She hadn't brought any of her work with her as they had been told specifically that their weapons and clothes were all that were required for this trip and nothing else.

Exhaling audibly, Weiss let herself be entertained by her partner's boots until there came an insistence to look at something else before Ruby caught her staring. She turned around enough to look at where she left the others and was able to spot the green of Lie Ren's tailcoat and the polished bronze of Pyrrha's armor. If anyone else had rejoined them Weiss couldn't see them.

She took another glance at her watch and was dismayed to see that a minute had only just passed. Her gaze slid from the timepiece to her nails so that she may inspect them. Perfectly manicured with smooth edges and not one crack or visible blemish in spite of today's menial labor. A scrutiny of the nails at her other hand had the same results.

A third check of her watch came away with one minute and twenty-two seconds which left thirteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds remaining. That calculation served to knock off two more measly seconds and leave Weiss with very few ideas as to what to do to accelerate the passing of all eight hundred.

"You were right, you know."

It was Ruby who spoke but when Weiss looked down she found her leader staring ahead. "Right about what?"

"About cutting down the tree." Ruby made a motion with her chin. "It would've been a waste. It didn't seem like a big deal but imagining having one knocked over in front of us right now would ruin the view."

Weiss followed Ruby's gaze and chin to take in said view. She had never been to Forever Fall before in person but the heiress did have an oil painting of it hanging within their dorm room. It was an expensive piece of art made by a reputable artist that Weiss didn't know of or really care and prior to its new place in Beacon the painting had hung from the walls of the Schnee manor with the others of her father's collection. It was that painting in particular that Weiss had admired the most out of all of them and when she had packed she had requested her father to let her take it with her.

She could say that she had taken a liking to it because it was one of the few pieces that – while a product bought with Schnee wealth – didn't specifically illustrate the Schnee name itself unlike the family portraits. She remembered enjoying it as a child though; at an age when she hadn't begun to spurn the stifling pressure of living up to her family. Getting older let her appreciate the scenery that was captured on the canvas.

It was painted with a brush manipulated by a skilled hand yet there was nothing really orderly about the picture itself. Unlike the systematic cultivating of the gardens at her home, the trees, rocks, and grass possessed a randomness of positioning that should seem disorganized but had a natural blending that gave it an attractive quality.

It was still a painting and Weiss saw how it failed to convey what she now bore witness to as the landscape danced before her eyes with the trees swaying in place and swinging their branches to shuffle and sprinkle their collected foliage. There was no artificial influence; the synchronization one hundred percent natural.

"It is pleasant," Weiss agreed.

Ruby nodded. "I wish I brought my headset with me. It'd be nice to have some music to listen to."

The heiress hummed in a noncommittal fashion as, in her opinion, the music that nature provided was enough.

"I've been listening to a lot of new songs recently," Ruby continued. "They're…uh…really good."

It was Weiss's turn to nod although it was more automatic than interested. If Ruby's musical interests were anything like her sister's crude selections, Weiss didn't put much stock in her leader's opinions when it came to that art form.

It was the heiress's indifference that prevented her from perceiving her partner's uncertain tone. "They're really…um...pretty. Nice to listen to. And they're...yours."

The understanding came as slow as the descent of a leaf. When it did arrive, Weiss jerked her head towards Ruby to find the younger girl sporting a nervous smile. "Mine?"

"Yeah…"

Weiss wasn't sure how to properly respond to this and for a while all she could do was blink at her leader who appeared to be regretting having chosen this course. Finally she asked, "How many of them?"

"…All of them," Ruby admitted.

The fencer wasn't sure how she should feel about this either as it was difficult for her to legitimize what came up. Surprise and offence were two but she didn't know why as it was her singing that Weiss was specifically known for other than being her father's daughter. Disappointment maybe though, again, she didn't know why she should find her leader's listening of her songs to be so. One thing they all had in common was that they didn't encourage any sense of pride.

"All of them, huh?" Weiss repeated with a huff. "And you liked them?"

Ruby nodded her head vigorously. "I liked them a lot; the earlier ones especially! That's not to say they aren't all great because they are it's just that there were a few I liked more than the other ones and most of them happen to be in your first album and-"

She was actually sounding like one of her so-called fans and Weiss held up a hand to stop what was becoming a nonsensical ramble. "Alright, alright; I get it." Rubbing at her temples, she asked sardonically, "I suppose that you want an autograph or something?"

"That _would_ be cool, I guess," Ruby said, embarrassed and Weiss's sarcasm apparently lost on her. Mustering up her courage, the scythe-wielder went on, "But that wasn't why I brought it up. I just wanted to compliment you and say that I think it's amazing that you were able to write and sing all those songs."

"I didn't write them," Weiss replied a bit sharply. "Not many singers write their own songs; I just sang them."

"Oh." The revelation seemed to deflate Ruby's optimism but the girl was still smiling nonetheless. "Well I still find it amazing that you were able to sing all of them, and so well too!"

Weiss nodded but was unmoved by Ruby's compliment. Refusing to add anymore to the discussion, the fencer returned to observing Forever Fall's wooden performers. Ruby waited as if expecting her partner to say more but upon receiving nothing she decided to join her and the uncomfortable silence that fell over them.

No matter how much time appeared to stretch when it came to standing still, Weiss was prepared to spend the last – she checked her watch – eight minutes and thirty-four seconds without another word being exchanged between her and Ruby. Something that her partner had mentioned nagged at her though and Weiss waited until there was an even eight minutes left before she queried, "What was it about the earlier songs you liked more than the later ones?"

"Huh? Oh!" Taken aback but happy to see Weiss willing to go on, Ruby explained, "The earlier songs sounded more…inspiring I want to say. Your later ones were good and I can tell that you were improving but something about them changed." She chewed on her lip, silver orbs glazed with consideration. "You sounded distant. More like you were just singing them from memory."

Considering that this is Ruby, the explanation was exceptionally insightful…and accurate. No one had ever scrutinized her music the way that Ruby was doing and Weiss had long-since become immune to the cheers of the faceless crowds who applauded her because she was the heiress to Schnee Dust no matter how neglectful she became towards her own talent.

Wordlessly, Weiss knelt down on the space that she had previously declined and made sure to pull her skirt up enough to avoid tarnishing it. As much as she admired viewing the forest, she grimaced at how itchy the blades of grass and leaves felt against the bare skin of her knees but chose to ignore them. Ruby was confused at the older girl's actions but stayed quiet.

"Honestly," Weiss began when she got a comfortable position, "that was when I started hating it."

Ruby blinked, baffled. "Hating it? But you were so good!"

Weiss shrugged. "I discovered a talent for it when I was younger. I was given tutors and teachers who taught me how to refine it, got my own stage, and I _did_ enjoy it. After a while though, it got old. I'd perform, people I know nothing about would cheer and applaud, and I would be given new songs to memorize and repeat the process all over again. The singing business isn't exactly what it's all cracked up to be, Ruby."

Ruby quietly digested the explanation and thought it over at the same time. "When you put it like that, I guess it can get pretty boring. Was it singing that you got bored with or was it just performing over and over again?"

That brought Weiss up short, specifically how Ruby caught onto that when she had purposely left out some of the details. She hesitated then conceded, "I suppose it was performing."

She liked her singing. It had been something she had a natural skill for and she enjoyed it. She wanted to improve and her instructors helped her accomplish that. When she got on stage and sang her first piece, it was one of the proudest moments of her life.

Later on it became something that wasn't fully her own anymore. Weiss acknowledged that she was younger during then but she had dreamed of perhaps writing and singing her own songs. It never happened though. It was always the 'best' songs written by the 'best' writers that her father would select for her and she would sing instead. She grew tired of it.

And, of course, there was the White Fang and her decision to train as a Huntress. In order to prepare, she had willingly sacrificed her singing in order to fulfill this latest ambition. However, that was a sacrifice that she admitted to holding some regret over.

"That's good," Ruby spoke. "About not getting bored of singing. When I listened to your last one it felt like you still enjoyed it."

Weiss knew what that one was. "I actually wrote that song."

_Mirror, Mirror._ That performance had come after her training and when she got her acceptance into Beacon. It was a final public appearance that she had decided to do on her own to show people the end of Weiss and the start of Weiss Schnee.

The inspiration for the lyrics occurred early on during that initial doubt. When she would stare at her reflection and see the frail girl who was red-faced, sweating, and out of breath after a day of training, what she saw and what she feared was if she had it in her to go through with her chosen path; if she had the strength and the heart to see it to the end.

That defining moment came after her accident when she peered at her reflection and saw the raw and nasty scar tissue that went down her left eye. Angry and passionate crimson that was painfully exposed on her otherwise smooth and pale skin. When it healed – when it cooled – it unveiled a truth that could save her from herself:

A heart can turn to stone.

That scar is what would draw people's attention away from her weaknesses. That loneliness would be her strength, allowing her to hide her insecurities and doubts from the world. She couldn't hide from herself though, couldn't hide how she wasn't as perfect as she wanted to be.

Not yet.

"You should write more of them," Ruby suggested.

"I don't have time for something like that," Weiss scoffed with a wave of her hand. "I'm training to be a Huntress and that doesn't exactly leave room to start performing again."

Ruby shook her head. "Not performing. Singing. If you still enjoy it you should keep doing it."

"Too busy."

"You can't be busy all the time!" Ruby objected with a puffing of her cheeks. "Even Huntresses can have some fun here and there. Blake has her books, Yang has her own friends that she hangs out with on occasion, and I enjoy my sweets, cleaning Crescent Rose, listening to music, and all that good stuff! For you it could be singing." Her features softened. "After all, what's the point of protecting the world when you can't enjoy it?"

Weiss really wanted to know where that other Ruby Rose went to. This one sounded too sensible, logical, and, Dust it all, so _convincing_. Leaning back on her folded knees, Weiss regarded this forest that had once been restricted to a painting on the wall.

There were a lot of new things that she's experiencing at Beacon. She had to share a room with three other people who she was supposed to depend on, had to share her classes with an even larger amount, deal with sub-par food that wasn't cooked by some highly-paid chefs, the halls can get cramped, and the name Schnee wasn't held with as much reverence here as it did at home.

But they were things that she never had the chance to experience before and as exasperating as it can be at times, it was also very uplifting. More importantly, this _was_ what she wanted. She had her own plan that she wished to see come to fruition but it may not happen during the first year which could leave her with opportunities like the one she was currently sharing with Ruby. What was this freedom that she had always wanted if she limited it?

She turned to Ruby to see her partner looking at her expectantly. Fighting and failing, Weiss smirked before shaking her head. "Not bad."

Ruby tilted her head questionably. "Hm?"

She held up her watch so that her leader could see the time. "You managed to distract me to get an extra two minutes out of the deal. How cunning of you."

"That wasn't what I was-!"

"I know, you dunce," Weiss interrupted. Smirk remaining in place, the heiress gracefully rose to her feet. "To be fair, I enjoyed it and I wouldn't mind being distracted again. Are you still planning on going to the city soon?"

"Uh, yeah," Ruby confirmed, not quite able to discern what was happening.

"You're the leader. Pick a day and I might just have to tag along whether for school supplies or whatever you decide is worth endeavoring in." As she was walking back, Weiss threw one last comment over her shoulder. "And as a leader you should make good on your promises and get Yang and Blake here!"

By then it clicked as to what had just happened and, smiling from ear-to-ear, Ruby jumped back to her feet with a batch of energy that needed an added outlet in the form of a punch that she sent skyward.

_Mission accomplished!_ she silently cheered. With her primary objective out of the way, Ruby bent down and picked up her jar in order to achieve the secondary one. _Now for Team RWBY to make their rendezvous with Commander Goodwitch! Hopefully Yang's having as much luck with Blake._

She also hoped that the two of them had come back. Wandering over to where everyone had collected their samples, Ruby's good mood was dampened somewhat when she caught sight of Pyrrha which reminded her that her team wasn't the only one that had their own issues needing to be solved.

The Spartan was examining her refilled jar of sap when, suddenly, she went rigid before spinning around. Any thoughts of Jaune were put on hold at the display and Ruby asked, "Pyrrha, you okay?"

Pyrrha spared Ruby a glance but otherwise continued to look troubled about something off in the distance. "…Yeah."

Ruby craned her head around to try and see what caught the redhead's attention but all she saw was a hill that overlooked their section of the forest. She was about to ask if everything was _really_ okay until there came the distinctive sound of a lid being popped open followed by a slurping noise. She was too late to warn Pyrrha and she barely caught a hint of pink just as it vanished.

Pyrrha didn't see the culprit but she didn't have to. Once she saw that her container had its lid and contents removed, she shouted, "NORA!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Fun Fact: That last part with Nora slurping up Pyrrha's sap? Totally happened if you have the DVD and watch it as a movie._

**Brain: **Although we don't really believe Blake would be _that _anxious about returning to Forever Fall under normal circumstances.

_However, I would like to think that Miles Luna mentally shipping Ren/Nora to the point where he called Ren Ren Valkyrie upon his introduction is proof that at least one of our popular ships has gotten premature confirmation and shall sail true._

**Brain: **And if you haven't decided to get the DVD at this point you should be ashamed!

_I personally find that to be more worthwhile then it would usually be for a regular movie as I've hardly ever cared that much about Director's Commentary. Then again, with the Rooster Teeth cast being their crazy selves, it's guaranteed that you're gonna be entertained. But the commentary does offer a lot more insight about the series that I know a lot of people always desire and hints of what we can expect in the future. A lot of what I've put into _Soulbound _as it is is highly influenced by what extra information I received from the commentaries of the directors and cast._

_The thing with Yang's hair, for example, I decided to throw in based on an idea from my partner and a mentioning from the cast as to how Yang's hair may be connected to Samson. I had thought about it before but it was only then that I decided to go with it. Agree, disagree, you are free to do whichever until canon proves or disproves it._

**Brain: **It's totally gonna disprove it…

_Quiet you. How about working on not making the chapters so long? It used to be difficult for me to get around 10k but now we're hitting 15k like crazy!_

**Brain: **If you don't like my ideas, don't write them.

_Blaaarrrgh. Alright then, this puts an end to _Forever Fall. _Now, this has been brought up by a previous reviewer so I feel like I should explain how I view the timeline. Taking what the characters have said in the show, I think it's safe to say that when _Forever Fall _happened, it has been a few weeks to a month as Glynda did mention during Jaune's duel with Cardin in _Jaunedice _that "It's been weeks now" which I interpret as weeks since the start of the school year. When we get to _The Stray_, Ruby mentions that her encounter with Roman Torchwick had been a few months ago. So between _Forever Fall _and _The Stray, _there is a months-long gap._

_A gap which I am going to partially fill with my next two chapters. Although I am skipping the fight with the Ursa Major, this will not be the last time you see JNPR. After that, we get into _The Stray!

**Brain: **And that's when stuff gets real…


End file.
